The Consequence of the Mistake
by Arthain
Summary: GohanOC - A mistake changed all that was supposed to be and two fight over the fate of all. Now, Gohan, the strongest sayian to ever exist, is about to embark on a journey that was never supposed to occur. (Mixture of most Genre's)
1. Prologue

_Italics_ = thought

**_Bold Italics _**= speech from a supreme being

"Quotations" = speech

"**Bold Quotations**" = Words shouted out extremely loud, like loud enough to cause seismic waves.

'Apostrophes' and "CAPITALS" = words that are emphasised

A/N: One thing.  This is a semi-serious story.  I just finished 1 serious story, and am doing another.  This'll be serious, but it'll have parts here and there that are inserted just for laughs and would not normally be placed in any story.  I'll do my best to try to make the humorous parts actually humorous but no guarantees because everyone has different tastes.  
A/N: No, I am NOT going to do a disclaimer... why?  Why the hell would I?  I know this is a fan fiction, YOU know this is a fan fiction, I have no intention of selling or using it to generate any kind of profit so why the hell should I make a disclaimer when it's not needed?  One thing I WILL do though is say this: I own all 'original' thoughts, concepts and people created within this story.  I don't mind if you use a concept or idea I create but at least give me a little credit for coming up with it.  
A/N: Argh, lot's of author's notes, oh well, might as well get them all, or at least most, out of the way now.  I currently have no proof reader so bare with any grammatical or spelling errors.  I'm generally a pretty good speller/grammatical person so there should be relatively few mistakes, hint notice the word relative; the bigger the chapter, the more mistakes, so expect that.

**Prologue**

In the beginning there was a single gem.  This gem was perfectly spherical in shape with an infinite amount of edges and existed within the emptiness of the void.  The orb was sentient, and being sentient, loved to admire itself, its perfect beauty and flawless nature.  But like all sentient creatures, even the greatest obsession becomes dull after an eternity.  So to amend that dullness it decided to satisfy its own longing for activity, for entertainment and enjoyment.

The first universe appeared at this time and began to orbit around the orb.  The orb manipulated, played, and twisted events and occurrences within the universe to fit its own pleasures and delights.  The universe grew, and so did the races.  They became stronger, more powerful, more technologically advanced, and more peaceful.  The orb grew bored with this universe and set out to create enjoyment anew.

Out of nothing a second universe appeared, this one too began to rotate around the orb, only slightly further out then the first.  The orb once again began to play, twist and manipulate events within this universe for its own delights but like the first this one also grew and became more peaceful.  Soon the orb became bored with the second universe as it had with the first.  They had become to powerful, technologically advanced and peaceful for it to enjoy anything.  It had accomplished all it had wanted with the universe so it was time to move on.

A third universe appeared out of nothing, but this time the orb decided to take a different approach.  It twisted, manipulated and played with events in this universe as well, but it made sure to take it in a different direction, the opposite direction.  Magic soon became abundant within the universe and came to a point where no plant or animal was born without a semblance of magic residing within it.  This one turned out better then the previous two universes.  It supplied the orb with thousands of eons of enjoyment but in time it grew bored.  All possibilities had been played out and it left it like it had the first two.

Then another, the last, universe came into existence finishing the creation of the Multi'Verse.  Within this universe the orb sought to combine both technology and magic, and succeeded to a point.  A race could not possess both, they lacked the mentality to handle both but it didn't mean each individual race couldn't special in one area or the other.  This universe provided much entertainment for the orb, more then any other, but something went wrong.  A child, with an aptitude for magic, was born into a world of technology.  This unnatural mixing set into something the orb was not prepared to accept.

Suddenly it happened, something that had never occurred in the history of the Multi'Verse.  A mistake so profound it shook the orb to its core.  The orb tried to regain control, to manipulate events back on track but it was too late.  A chain of events had been set off, one that kept growing and growing.  The orb was unable to compensate for what was happening and, with a resounding crack that was heard throughout the Multi'Verse, it shattered.

The shattered orb, now nothing more then an infinite amount of tiny pieces without mass, was held in place by the rotation of the Multi'Verse, and with its destruction two sentient beings came into existence.  Both were bent on reconstructing the orb, but in their own way, a way that conflicted with the others.  This wasn't the only consequence of the shattering of the orb.  The Multi'Verse began to orbit erratically around the shattered orb causing timelines and events to occur that should not have been.  People lived where they should have died, others died where they should have lived.  And in the midst of all this chaos the mistake spread throughout the four universes.

The two beings fought one another over the shards of the orb.  They each had acquired half the shards and desperately tried to wrestle the shards from one another.  It was in the midst of one particularly large fight that they noticed something: the Multi'Verse.  They had been so absorbed in their own fight they hadn't noticed it before.  With mutual agreement, the only one they would ever agree upon, they decided to let the mortals decide their conflict for them.  Neither would admit that they were incapable of beating the other.

One of the beings created a special race, his chosen race, and sent them out into the Multi'Verse.  Their goal was to destroy her brother's champions.  The other being decided to resort not to an entire race, but to a select few beings. These creatures were so diverse and different from one another and spread so far apart throughout the Multi'Verse that there was no hope of being found until they announced their presence.

The two siblings eyed one another before they leaned forward in anticipation.  The games had just begun, and neither had any intention of losing.

A/N: There, the prologue of the Gohan story. I decided to make it the history, all of them major events that had occurred up to the beginning of the actual story.  As you can see it's going to be extremely unique.  
A/N: Two things, this is set 1 month after the Buu saga, so you can forget the end few episodes with the tournament, Ubuu and all that.  Also there are many variances in this.  The universe is exactly the same as the series right up to the end of the Buu saga, but that's where it stops.  At that point it changes radically, extremely radically.  
A/N: I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update but...  I'll try to not make it TO many weeks apart but no guarantees.  University is a bitch to handle and I'm getting so much work piled on me that I can barely breathe. 


	2. Chapter 1: Into the Past

**Chapter 1: Into the Past**

It was a beautiful spring morning.  The trees were and plants were in full bloom and birds sang from seemingly every branch.  Gohan smiled as he walked through the woods south of his home.  It was the perfect day for a gathering, and they had taken advantage of it.  The entire gang had gathered in a clearing several dozen miles south of his house.  His mother was intelligent, she knew when you put six saiyans together you'll get some form of sparing and fighting so to that end she had made sure the gathering wasn't anywhere near her house.

The undergrowth here was in full growth and bloom, but hadn't had time to hamper passage through the forest.  Small animals, and the occasional small dinosaur, scurried across Gohan's sight or could be heard to either side in the forest.

Gohan wore an outfit like his father, except it was black with a dark blue undershirt and blue belt.  A brown tail was wrapped around Gohan's waist as he hummed a tune.

Gohan wasn't worried about the animals.  He had been strong enough at age five to handle them, now he was infinitely stronger then before.  The animals would break their teeth on his skin before he felt anything.  He smiled broadly as he entered a small clearing.  There was a small pool of water in the center of it with several plants growing out and around from it.  The sunlight beamed down into the clearing causing everything to come aglow as if they had a fire burning within.  The place was truly majestic.

Gohan soon left the clearing and continued on his way south.  He had stopped to pick up an especially beautiful flower.  He was aware of his mother's fondness for flowers that grew in the wild and this would be just the thing for excusing his late arrival.

Several minutes later voices drifted up and pierced Gohan's ears.  Another smile graced his face.  He was approaching his destination, and fashionably late.  The voices he was hearing was his mother, apparently she was not happy at his being late.  He had his reasons, although he doubted anyone would like them, especially Videl.  He was aware of her feelings for him, feelings that were not returned.

Gohan's smile faded from his lips.  He was not looking forward to this gathering.  Sunlight filled Gohan's vision as he left the shadows of the forest and entered the large clearing that had been prepared for the gathering.  Gohan smiled again at the sight in front of him.  The Buu incident hadn't left any scars on those two little kids.  They were just as joyful and playful as ever.  They were currently chasing a poor lizard across the ground in an attempt to capture it.  They had special plans for it.

At the far side of the clearing his father and Vegeta were talking to one another; or rather it was Vegeta beating saiyan history and language into Goku's head with little success.  Vegeta had given up trying to be better then 'Kakkarot'.  Now all he wanted was for Gohan's father to act like a saiyan.  Chichi was preparing lunch for everyone on the large barbeques that Hercule had provided.  He had also provided several helpers which Chichi took gladly.  She always accepted help when it became feeding time for saiyans.  Hercule himself was seated on the ground beside one of the picnic tables as he listened to his daughter.  Now that he realized those tricks and light shows were actually real he had put a lot of time and effort into learning them.  He hadn't quite been able to grasp the use of them, but he understood the concepts behind them.  Buu was hopping around behind him giggling and laughing like a little child and giving Hercule a hard time.  Needless to say Hercule would have little success at mastering ki techniques today.  18, Krillen and Marron were talking quietly at the tables themselves.  They had decided to seat themselves early so they could beat the saiyan rush. Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu were all talking to one another about the old days and how glad they were that the Buu incident was over.  They had been badly out classed there and they never wished to enter a conflict like that again.  Puar and Olong were off somewhere but he couldn't spot them immediately, but that didn't matter.  They would show up as soon as the food was ready.  Piccolo was meditating like usual and nodded at Gohan as he entered the clearing before he went back to meditating.

There weren't any reporters here thankfully.  Goku had teleported everyone to the clearing to prevent the reporters from learning where they were.  When Hercule had asked for help to defeat Buu, when his face and voice was projected to the masses, many people had noticed Goku floating behind him.  More importantly they recognized the former world champion and the huge ball of energy he was holding over his head.  Whether or not Gohan, and his family, wanted fame, they had it now.  It was hellish for him at school but because relatively few knew where he lived reporters weren't flocking to his home, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Vegeta was the first, aside from Piccolo, to notice Gohan and smiled down at Goku.  "Now THERE is a saiyan worth my time!" Vegeta said loudly, catching everyone's attention, as he waved his hand in Gohan's direction.  Everyone followed the direction of his hand and soon spotted Gohan.

Smiles bloomed on every face, except Chichi.  She was upset at Gohan being late, and she wanted a good explanation for it.

Gohan smiled sadly.  Vegeta was right in his assumption that he'd make a good saiyan.  It had happened right after Buu was destroyed, although no one noticed it right at first.  The mystic power had not only released his hidden strength, but his saiyan nature.  During the battles with Buu he had been to focused on destroying Buu to notice his change, although change he had.  Even during the battle he had shown some of his hidden saiyan nature: the toying with Buu, the enjoyment of the battle and other little things.  He could have prevented Buu from absorbing Gotenks and Piccolo, but he hadn't.  He wanted a challenge.  He could have even destroyed Buu before he had the chance to absorb Gotenks and Piccolo, but likewise he didn't.  He wanted his fun, and it cost him a lot.

Unlike with the Cell games when he had been able to regain control of himself, he hadn't been able to after Buu.  He was no where near Vegeta's level of arrogance and pride but he had more then a healthy dose of both.  Ever since the destruction of Kid Buu he had trained himself every day, to become stronger and better, not that there was anyone capable of beating him.  He could take out Gotenks and even Gogeta although they trounced him when they teamed up.

"Hey everyone."  Gohan said with a grin and quickly turned to his mother with a flourish, "And this is for you M'Lady!"  Gohan said as he 'magically' pulled a wild flower out from his sleeve and handed it out to his mother.  He wanted to pacify her before she had a chance to break the eardrums of all those present.

Chichi took the flower and smiled, "Why thank you Gohan.  How thoughtful, I suppose you can be forgiven, especially seeing how you took your time for me."  She said in a sweet voice as she looked the flower over.

Gohan sighed with relief on the inside, that's one explosive situation turned aside, the next one won't be nearly as easy.

Videl stomped over to him with an angry look on her face, "Hey Gohan... Aren't you forgetting something?"  Videl asked in a dangerously soft voice.

Gohan scratched his head in confusion before clarity struck him, "Oh yes, I remember now.  That's something we need to talk about Videl."  Gohan said softly.

The clearing went dead quiet with that statement.  All eyes became trained on Gohan and Videl and the two became quite conscious of their gaze.  Videl kept a cool front but on the inside she was beginning to tremble slightly, "Oh... and what may that be about Gohan?"  Videl asked calmly.

Gohan sighed and took a deep breath.  This wasn't going to be easy, but better now then later.  "It's about you and me.  I know how you feel about me and..."  Gohan paused to comb his hand through his hair.  Videl became increasingly nervous, almost scared about what was to come next, "I wish I could feel the same way about you but... I can't."  Gohan said softly.

Collective gasps were heard throughout the clearing as everyone expressed their surprise, with the exception of Vegeta.  He knew this was coming.  He could almost feel Videl reaching out towards Gohan but he felt nothing reaching back.  Gohan regarded Videl as nothing more then just a good friend.  Also Gohan revealing it to him during one of their many lessons of saiyan history and social status had helped to enlighten him.

Videl stumbled back a step as if she had been struck a blow.  He eyes began to tear up as she choked out one last question, "Wh-Why not?"  She asked in a trembling voice.

Gohan shrugged, a shrug is a powerful weapon, and it's quite possible to tear someone apart with a single shrug, as he responded, "Because there is no feeling.  No matter how I look at you all I see is a friend.  I cannot see a future with you, I don't know why.  I did before Buu but now...  I do not.  I suppose it may have to do with the unleashing of my mystic power but I don't know for sure."

Videl backed away from Gohan, one trembling step at a time, with eyes wide with shock and hurt.  Swiftly she turned and bolted away from Gohan.  After a few steps she took to the air and flashed across the sky, leaving a trail of tears.  Gohan stretched an arm out after her but let it drop with a sigh.  There were no words that could help Videl, only time will dull the pain.

"That was a trifle blunt."  A voice said as a familiar figure entered the clearing.  Kibitoshin had finally decided to join the gathering.

Gohan nodded, "I know... but I didn't know any other way of saying it while still getting the meaning across correctly.  Any lighter and there could be room for misinterpretation.  Any blunter and it would have crippled her permanently."  Gohan said sadly.

Kibitoshin nodded, "I wouldn't know.  I've watched over this universe for a long time and I still don't understand love."  He said, "It's one of the universe's great mysteries."

Chichi stomped over to Kibitoshin and glared at him angrily, "So YOU are responsible for turning my Gohan against Videl?"  She screeched.

Kibitoshin shook his head, "No not me.  It was a combination of many things.  It was mainly his saiyan side, the old kai unleashing his mystic ability, and one other factor which he will find out soon enough."  The supreme kai answered.

Chichi glared at Gohan and the supreme kai, completely enraged.  Her perfect picnic had just been ruined.  Gohan sighed, "I know this is hard to accept mother, but it's the real reason I took so long.  I wanted to figure out my true feelings for Videl.  They were confusing and it took me awhile to sort through them.  My human side was reaching out to Videl, but that side is no longer.  My humanity was ripped from me after the unleashing.  You didn't think my tail grew back for nothing did you?"  Gohan asked curiously.

Chichi looked at him in confusion, as did everyone else.  Vegeta became thoughtful; this explanation may clear a few peculiarities he had been noticing about Gohan lately.  Gohan took a deep breath, "You may want to tell Videl this later, and I don't think she'll be all that receptive to me.  In the past my human side and my saiyan side have been in balance.  There were times where one would be slightly more dominate then the other, for example my saiyan side was more dominate during the cell games but in the 7 years following my human side was the dominate.  Well the unleashing completely tipped the balance in favour of my saiyan side.  To bring it down to a genetic level, it's like cancer.  Both my human and saiyan cells are trying to convert each other to their side and have been relatively in balance my entire life.  But because of my mystic power and the influx of life force combined with saiyan instincts and personalities...  Well my brain changed first but it quickly spread through my body.  The saiyan cells began to overwhelm the human cells until it got to a point where it was unstoppable.  I'm now completely saiyan."  Gohan finished.

Eyes were bugged out all over the clearing.  Only Goku, Hercule and Goten were clueless.  Vegeta was the first to speak after the speech, "I knew we'd make a saiyan out of you yet." He said in surprise, although his eyes should more approval then surprise.

Gohan eyed him, "Ha ha, very funny, that was a bad pun you know."  Gohan said.

Chichi stared at Gohan in shock, "My baby..."  Chichi started before her eyes rolled back and she fell.  Before she had a chance to hit the ground Goku was there catching her.  He wasn't to sure what was going on, but whatever it was, it was big.

Kibitoshin sighed and shook his head, "Have you done what I have asked of you?" he asked as he looked Gohan straight in the eyes.

Gohan nodded, "Yes I have.  I can still feel it, it's there, it's just further away then it was before."  Gohan responded.

Krillen looked a little worried, "What are you two talking about?  We really don't need any more surprises today."  He said.

Gohan chuckled, "Oh it's nothing.  Kibitoshin just asked me to learn if I still possessed the ability to go super, and I do.  It's just a lot harder to reach."  Gohan answered.

Again eyes bugged out and several more people fainted.  Gohan scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, "I think I ruined our little get together..."  Gohan said apologetically, "I'm sorry.  With Videl gone and my mother, Olong, Puar and Yamcha all unconscious... heh... sorry."  Gohan said.

Vegeta shook his head and grinned, "Don't be sorry!  You truly are a saiyan now!  There is no reason to be sorry of anything at all, they're all just weaklings...   Well... everyone except Videl and the banshee."  Vegeta said quickly as Gohan's eyes narrowed.

A resounding whack was heard as Vegeta got hit over the head by Bulma, "Shut up Vegeta.  This is serious and we don't need your silly comments!"  She yelled.

Vegeta turned and glared back "WOMAN!  Do you know who I AM?"  Vegeta roared for the millionth time since they met.

Bulma glared at him, "Yes I do! You only tell me every day! AND THAT MAKES ME YOUR QUEEN SO SHUT UP!"  Bulma yelled back silencing Vegeta where he was.  He had never thought of it like that before.  Technically Bulma held just as much authority and power as he did, more, considering he was thoroughly pussy whipped.

Vegeta grumbled to himself but he let off and became quiet.  Bulma nodded in satisfaction, "That's better!"  Bulma said and turned to look at Gohan, "Are you sure about everything you just said?  Never mind, I know you are.  Whatever you may become, you'll never become a liar.  I don't suppose you'd let me run some tests on you?"  Bulma asked curiously.

Gohan laughed, Bulma was back to her old self.  Chichi was coming around, her eyes slowly opened and she blinked many times to clear them.  When she focused on Gohan tears began to develop in them. "What happened to my baby boy?" Chichi sobbed.

Gohan stepped forward and kneeled in front of her, he knew how to handle this, although he didn't know how he knew. "It's alright mother.  You're baby boy is still there, in your memories.  He's just grown up, into me.  You must have realized that I would leave sometime, that time is now.  You still have Goten."  Gohan said softly.

Chichi looked up at Gohan for a second before she brought him into a fierce hug, "My poor baby boy has all grown up."  She said and dropped the embrace.  She still held him at arms length, pride in her eyes.

Gohan sighed, "Mother, I want you to explain to Videl.  I don't hate her, it's just I don't love her.  I've tried but I can't.  I want you to tell her I hope we can still be friends.  Knowing her she won't want to have anything to do with me for awhile."  Gohan said sadly.

Chichi nodded, "Don't worry, I'll handle everything." She said compliantly.

Gohan nodded and stood up.  It was then he realized something odd.  His mother had been a little too understanding.  He shrugged it away though, as long as everything worked out fine he didn't care about the why.  

Chichi stood up, pulling her mate with her.  She looked at him for a moment before he nodded.  Suddenly the two vanished as Goku teleported to Videl.  Gohan smiled a little, if anyone could bring Videl around, it was his mother.  Suddenly he was barrelled over by two little bundles of energy.

"I'm not sure what is going on brother but let's play!  I wanna have some fun!"  Goten said as he bounced up and down on Gohan's stomach.  Trunks grinned up at him from his position grappled around the right leg.

Gohan sighed in mock exasperation, "Oh alright, I suppose I can play with you."  Gohan said and laughed as cheers erupted from the kids.  He may be a full blooded saiyan, but some things will never change, no matter his race.

Talking started up once more, albeit a little less raucous and energetic as before.  About a half hour later, when the sun stared straight down upon the clearing identifying the time of day as noon, Goku and Chichi reappeared, with Videl.

Gohan ceased playing with the two children and slowly stood up.  Goten started to complain but Trunks hit him on the head to silence him.  Goten glared at Trunks with a pout on his face.  Videl approached Gohan slowly, her eyes were puffy and red, making Gohan feel awful for what he had done, although there was no other way.

Gohan was the first to speak, "I'm sorry Videl, for any pain I have caused you but.  I felt it was better to say it now, before your feelings progressed any further."

Videl held a hand up to silence him, "I-I know Gohan.  It's just hard... I... I truly did love you; you will always have a place within my heart.  I... thought this may happen but I didn't want to believe it.  You'd been acting differently towards me ever since Buu...  I-It's just hard to actually hear it, to hear the confirmation of your fears."  She said sadly.

Gohan nodded and hugged her, catching her by surprise, "I know.  It was hard to find the right words to tell you...  We can still be friends right?"  Gohan asked quietly.

"Just one thing Gohan... You're not leaving me because of another woman are you?"  Videl asked.

Gohan shook his head, "No, I'm not.  You're the best this planet has to offer so I doubt anyone else could even interest me a little.  I don't think I'll find my special someone on Earth."  Gohan replied.

Videl nodded and broke out of the embrace, she had a little smile on her face, "Well alright then, I accept the friendship, if I can't have all of you, I'll settle for what little I can have."  She said in a light tone.

Gohan put on an expression of mock pain, "That hurt Videl... what am I to you?  A slab of meat?"  Gohan whimpered.

Videl laughed and everything was alright.  The gathering re-continued from where it left off.  Hercule was upset and was going to confront Gohan but Videl persuaded him against it, saying it was all right.  Videl resumed her fathers training while Goten and Trunks pounced upon Gohan once more.

The rest of the day proceeded without any major events.  The saiyans ravished the food that was placed upon the table almost before Chichi and the servants had finished removing their hands.  The others wisely decided to wait until the saiyans had eaten their fill before they dared to stick their hands into the central parts of the tables.  After lunch the sparring began, much like Chichi had predicted.  Nothing could have prevented it from occurring, nothing short of the end of the world, but that may not have been enough.  As usual Gotenks and Gogeta teamed up against Gohan.  No one, singularly, or fused, could stand toe-to-toe with Gohan.  The humans, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu teamed up against Krillen while 18 and 17 spoke quietly with 16 about life.  Androids 17 and 16 had joined the gathering just after the meal, 16 not needing food, and 17 not wanting to be anywhere near eating saiyans, had opted to join the group after the midday meal. Kibitoshin just watched Gohan the entire time while Piccolo meditated in the middle of the clearing.

After the Gotenks and Gogeta fusions wore off for the third time they decided to call it quits for the day.  Several factors made the saiyans come to this conclusion.  One, the sun was beginning to set, and two, dinner was ready.  The five of them landed on the west side of the clearing and bolted for the table.  After dinner Bulma and Chichi enforced no more sparring, insisting that they should just enjoy the rest of the night without fighting amongst one another.

It was during this time of contemplation that a thought occurred to Vegeta.  The King of the Saiyans glanced over at Gohan and thought for a second before he phrased his question. "Gohan.  You said you were capable of becoming a super saiyan.  Could you show us?"  Vegeta asked, bringing up the question that Kibitoshin would have if no one else voiced it.

Gohan shook his head, "I can't.  The power that would be unleashed would destroy this planet.  The elder supreme kai said that."  Gohan replied.

Kibitoshin smiled, "True, you would destroy the planet... but not if there was a shield around you preventing most of the energy from escaping."  He said.

"Is that possible?"  Gohan asked.

Kibitoshin nodded, "Yes it is possible, but I would need to borrow energy from anyone who would be willing to spare me some."  Kibitoshin replied.

Vegeta stood up, "You can have mine; I want to see the brat go super.  I'm extremely curious as to how much power he will have, and how far I have to go to catch up."  Vegeta said.

Goku stood up beside Vegeta along with Goten and Trunks, all three voicing their agreement.

Kibitoshin rose and nodded, "Alright, I want the four of you to stand around me with your hands stretched out towards me.  I want you to focus your life force through your hands and into me; I will then use it to strengthen the shield I will create around Gohan."  He said.

The saiyans nodded and stood around him.  Gohan took to the air, figuring the further he was from the planet the better.  Everyone was curious as to just how powerful Gohan could become.  Mixed emotions swept through the group, from fear to excitement, from nervousness to anticipation.  Everyone was, aside from perhaps Vegeta, worried about Gohan, wondering if he was capable of even withstanding that much power while at the same time curious.

When Gohan judged he was far enough away he stopped and waited for the signal to begin.  Soon the saiyans down around the supreme kai began to power up as they channelled their energy into Kibitoshin.  It was relatively easy for them, especially considering Kibitoshin did most of the work.  Other channels of energy flowed into the supreme kai as some of the others decided to join in as well.  Soon a large shield developed around Gohan and sound ceased to pass through the barrier.  Gohan kept his eyes trained on the supreme kai, waiting for the signal, and then he had it, the slight nod of the head.

Gohan bent over in concentration.  He reached down into the depths of his being and called upon all the horrible, sad and devastating memories he had encountered in his life.  Before he knew what was happening his power was sky rocketing.  The air around Gohan turned white as his aura expanded swirled around Gohan.  The more he focused upon his past, the more power that flowed through him.

Gohan's earth shattering voice was heard, even through the barrier that had been put up around him.  The supreme kai strained to maintain the shield.  He knew it was impossible to contain the entirety of the unleashing but he wanted to hold in as much as possible.  Bolts of lightning crackled out from Gohan's body to lash against the barrier in rapid succession.  It looked like a plasma sphere, without the base and electric rod.  The only difference aside from that was this plasma sphere was being generated by a mortal being, and was destructive enough to take out the planet.

Suddenly Goku and Vegeta noticed something, something they had witnessed before.  The reality around Gohan, the reality inside the sphere, was beginning to warp and tear.  Like Buu, Gohan was unleashing more power then reality could withstand.

"NO!"  Goku and Vegeta both yelled at the same time and tried to cut off the flow of energy into Kibitoshin but couldn't.  "Stop this Kibitoshin!  Reality is tearing apart!"  Goku yelled.

Kibitoshin smiled, "I know, this is supposed to happen.  Gohan has something to accomplish, in a different time, in a different dimension."  He said sadly, "A being more powerful then me is directing the course of this event."

Everyone stared at him in horror when loud crackling was heard from above.  They looked up just in time to see a giant incandescent hand reach out from the rift behind Gohan and pull him in.  As soon as Gohan was gone the barrier dropped and the rifts in reality snapped shut.  Cries of horror echoed across the clearing as the strongest being in that universe, in that timeline was taken away.

Chichi crumpled to the ground as the enormity of the situation overwhelmed her.  For the second time that day she lost consciousness.  Cries of sorrow were heard throughout the clearing that day.  Everyone still conscious turned their baleful gazes upon the supreme kai.  He merely smiled and disappeared as he went back to his world.

Goku stood up, enraged at being tricked.  He was about to instantly transmit himself to the supreme kai when everything went black.

--------------------------

Outside of time and space...

Gohan screamed in agony as he was pulled through the emptiness of the void.  The journey seemed to last ages to Gohan but it was really a matter of minutes.  Suddenly Gohan found himself thrown through another rift into a different time and place then where he had come from.  Gohan fell from the sky to land in a heap upon a rocky desert.  

Gohan slowly rolled off his back and slowly lifted himself off the ground.  He was completely exhausted.  The trip through time and dimension without the aid of magic or technology had drained him entirely.  It was all he could do to stand.  When Gohan finally stood erect he took stock of his surroundings.  He was in a rocky desert with little to no shrubs.  The sky was a reddish color, hinting at an extremely dust filled atmosphere.

Another thing Gohan noticed was that the gravity was a good ten times that of Earth's, and that the weakest person on this planet was as strong as Videl.  Gohan sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair, knocking the dust out of it.

"Something tells me I'm not on Earth anymore..."  Gohan trailed off.

To be continued...

A/N: Grr... I hate this site, it changes ... into . if you let the document you are using it format it into 1 character.


	3. Chapter 2: Introductions

A/N: One thing, apparently FanFiction fixed the … error so that's all good now, don't have any complaints in that department.

A/N: Another thing I will NOT do Homosexual pairings.  I don't have anything against homosexuals; just don't be gay near me, ie. Trying to hit on me or asking me to conduct in anything homosexual.  Gohan WILL be with a female by the end, don't you worry about that, I got everything planned out, including a surprise ending, but enough of that.

A/N: I will be posting the prologue to my original story on FictionPress.net so that everyone can get a taste of what to expect.  I won't be posting any more of it until I finish it and give it to my parents as a Christmas present next Christmas so you'll have to wait awhile for the rest.  Anyways, if you wish to read the prologue, it'll be up and under the same name because apparently my account carried over to FictionPress when it was created.

****

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

Gohan sighed as he took to the air.  He had no idea where he was, and that automatically created his primary goal.  Figuring out where, and when, he was.  He searched for the largest group of life forces on the planet and found the place a little ways to the southeast.  Gohan didn't waste anymore time.  There was nothing especially great about his current location and the faster he got his questions answered the better.  In the back of his mind he was wondering just how he had come to be here but that was been pushed aside for more urgent questions.

Gohan decided several things on his journey towards his destination.  One, that he would conceal his true power, there's no point in scaring the inhabitants. Two, he wouldn't fly into the city, not unless everyone else was flying as well. And three, he would tear whoever sent him here a new asshole as soon as he discovered who it was.

It didn't take Gohan long to come within sight of his destination.  To his surprise, and relief, it was a large city, a very large city, one that was teeming with activity.  Another thing Gohan noticed was that nearly everyone was flying. That put to rest another one of his worries.  At least flying won't draw any unnecessary attention Gohan thought to himself.  When Gohan entered the city he noted that everyone around him were aliens of all different kinds.  What surprised him even more was that there were humans mixed in among the other races.

_Did I go into the future?_  Gohan wondered as he slowly flew through the city.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"  A voice roared behind Gohan causing him to stop and turn around.  He had only a few seconds to register two people flying towards him at a high velocity.  Gohan quickly moved to the side and allowed the two to pass but something about them caught his attention, brown tails waving in the air behind them.

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise, _No I didn't go into the future… but into the past.  This is planet Vegeta.  It all makes sense, Vegeta told me about this place.  A red sky, majority of it is desert, arrogant saiyans all over the place...  Planet Vegeta was destroyed years ago so this must be the past._  Gohan scratched his head in confusion, Well that settles where, and when in a relative manor, but what about the why and how?

Gohan was so deep in contemplation that he did not notice he had a visitor until she spoke up.

"Well hello there, you look lost.  Is there anything I can help you with?"  A female saiyan asked.

Startled Gohan whipped his head up and stared at the girl speechless for a moment before he grinned sheepishly and rubbed his head, "Ah... Not really.  I'm pretty sure I know where I am... It's something else that's bothering me."  Gohan replied.

The girl smiled, "How sad, why don't we return to my place and we can..."  She cut off as Gohan's head whipped up and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What the hel..." Gohan started to say as he eyed the five saiyan pods that blasted across the sky.

The girl watched them until they disappeared somewhere into the city before she looked back at Gohan.  She frowned when she noticed him still staring in that direction, "What's wrong?  It's just five saiyans coming back from a purging mission."  She said abruptly, a little annoyed at losing this handsome saiyan's attention.

Gohan looked over at her and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry but there is someone I have to meet... up there.  He's was in one of the pods.  I'll talk to you later."  Gohan said before he blasted through the sky, forgetting to watch his speed for a moment before remembering to go slowly.

Needless to say the female he left behind was speechless.  That was the first time she had ever witnessed someone create a sonic boom when they flew off.  Her eyes narrowed as a grin creased her face.  That male would be hers.

Gohan was cursing silently on the inside; he should have known not to show off, no matter his mental condition.  He was just extremely bothered as to why the person in that shuttle had a life force nearly identical to his fathers and similar to his own and Goten's.  It didn't take Gohan long to make it through the city.  He dodged and weaved through the crowd of people in the air startling them not with his speed, but with his agility.

A docking station soon appeared in Gohan's vision and he slowed down even further before coming to a halt above it.  There were seven people below; two of them dock workers while the other five were saiyans.  The one that felt like his father was definitely not his father, and definitely unconscious.  Gohan slowly floated down to land just outside the group of people.

Now that Gohan was here he had no idea how to approach the group.  Was he to just walk up and demand who the person that looked like his father is or should he wait until they noticed him and offered him to join them.  Gohan decided to do both.  He waited until he was sure they had noticed them but when they didn't approach he decided to approach them.  Just as he started to walk towards the group the two dock workers carried his father's look alike away and into the interior of the building.

Gohan watched him go while still continuing to walk towards the group of four saiyans. The only female saiyan in the group was the first to speak up after noticing Gohan close in on them.

"What do you want?  If you don't have a good reason for being here..."  She said with a growl in her throat.

Gohan waved his hand, trying to placate her, "No I'm not here to fight or argue or anything.  I was just curious as to who that was?" Gohan asked, pointing with his thumb in the direction of the downed saiyan.

A fat, but obviously strong, saiyan spat at the ground and frowned as he stepped forward, "And what do you want with him?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

Gohan frowned; he was trying his best to be nice.  Suddenly he remembered something and Gohan became extremely grateful of the lessons Vegeta had given him.  A nice saiyan usually came out last.  Saiyans were only kind and respectful to their comrades, and if worthy, their family.  Gohan sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair, "Stupid arrogant pieces of..."  Gohan mumbled to himself before finally rephrasing his question. "That guy that was carried off, he felt... I mean looks familiar.  He reminds me of... a relative of mine.  I wanted to know who he was, so here I am, to collect that answer."  Gohan said.

Another of the saiyans stepped forward, this one was tall, muscular, and obviously contained some semblance of a brain within his skull.  He eyed Gohan curiously before responding.  "I don't see any reason why not to tell you.  Nearly everyone else knows of him, what's one more.  The saiyan you were referring to is our leader, Bardock.  I'm Toma, his second in command.  If you want their names..." Toma said as he nodded his head back towards the others, "You'll have to ask them yourself."

Gohan nodded and looked at the others with his eyebrow raised, "Well?  Are you going to introduce me or do I have to beat your names out of you?"  Gohan asked in a mild tone.

The female laughed uproariously at the comment, "I like you, you have spirit unlike many others.  There aren't too many people willing to threaten us to our faces.  The name's Celipa."  She said with a smile.

The other two looked at one another before they spoke, "I'm Totepo."  The large bald fat saiyan said. "I'm Borgos."  The fat haired saiyan said.  He frowned and pressed the button on his scouter to get Gohan's reading, "8,000.  What?  How did someone get so strong without anyone knowing about it?"  Borgos asked in confusion.

The others looked at him for a moment before they too turned on their scouters.  All four scouters read the same thing causing the four to exchanged confused glances.  "What class are you?"  Toma asked curiously, "And what is up with the odd clothing?  Shouldn't you be wearing standard saiyan battle armour?"

Gohan grinned, "I'm merely the son of a third class warrior."  He said remembering what Vegeta had always referred to his father as.  This made the gathered saiyans exchange confused glances yet again.  A third class saiyan with that much power, it was almost unheard of.  He was stronger then many of the elite saiyans. "As for my clothes..."  Gohan continued, ignoring the glances, "I wear them because I like the colours and they are far better then the battle armor.  They are stronger, more resistant, and enable much better mobility.  The only thing they lack is the ability to stretch like the saiyan armour.  That's why I keep a pair of the armor packed away safely for when there is a full moon."  Gohan said, talking very quickly to convince the others.

Toma nodded for a moment as he looked at the clothing thoughtfully, "They do look as if they allow for better mobility but we'll have to see about their resistance, later."  Toma said finally.

Gohan nodded and silently sighed in relief.  They accepted the story, somewhat, enough to leave him alone about it.  Gohan was about to speak up when a messenger ran out from the building and stopped in front of Toma.

"Are you Bardock and company?"  The messenger asked in an imperial tone.

Toma stepped forward, "I'm Toma, his second in command.  Bardock is indisposed at the moment, just relay the message to me and get out of our sight."  Toma growled.

The messenger glared up at Toma, "Don't take that tone with me saiyan!  I'm Lord Frieza's personal messenger."  The small alien said.  This caught everyone's attention, including Gohan.  "Lord Frieza orders you to travel hence forth to planet Meat to cleanse it for selling.  You are to leave as soon as possible and no later then midnight tonight."  The messenger said in a regal tone. "You have your orders monkeys, now get going."  The alien finished and turned on its heel and left the way it had arrived.

Toma was grinning, as were all the other saiyans.  A request for them from Frieza himself, they were finally getting the recognition they deserved.  Toma grinned at the others, "Let's go see how Bardock is doing and relay to him the good news."  Toma said excitedly.

Celipa grinned happily as Borgos slammed his fists together in anticipation.  Totepo simply stood there with a grin on his face.  Toma turned to Gohan, "We still don't know your name saiyan, who are you?"

Gohan smiled, "The names Gohan.  I know it's not a saiyan name, but my mother had weird notions about what I should be called, despite my fathers protests."  Gohan said quickly as he noticed the frowns that were creasing their faces.

Toma laughed out loud, "Yes, women do have peculiar tastes don't they?" Toma said with a grin.

A resounding whack was heard as Toma pitched forward.  Celipa was standing behind him with her fist outstretched.  "What was that you just said?"  She asked in a dangerous tone.

Toma made a wise decision and tried to recover his good standing, "Ah, nothing Celipa.  You should know I wasn't referring to you."  Toma said apologetically.

Celipa smirked and crossed her arms, "I suppose I'll take that as an adequate apology, but next time you won't be so lucky.  I'm having thoughts of castration…"  Celipa trailed off causing every male in the vicinity to go white in the face.

Toma quickly stood up, "Ah, no that's quite alright Celipa, nothing like that will slip out again."  He assured her.

"Good."  She said with a smile, "Now why don't we go in and see Bardock."  She said.

The others nodded and Gohan trailed along behind, not having any other place to go.  The saiyans began to talk and joke among one another as the walked through the empty halls of the space port.  The walls were completely devoid of any kind of luxury.  It appeared as if it had been constructed for militaristic purposes only.  After several minutes of walking, and several turns through the twisting hallway, the group emerged through an opening in the hallway into the regeneration room.  There Bardock stood floating in the liquid mixture that all saiyan regeneration chambers produced.

"How is he Mallaka?"  Toma asked as he approached the two scientists.

Mallaka turned on the screen he was looking at and took a look at Bardock's condition, "Yes, let's see here.  Physically there's nothing wrong.  He's in perfect shape.  However mentally I'm not quite sure.  There has been a slight change in his brainwave patterns.

"Brainwaves...?" Toma trailed off.

"That doesn't sound good Toma.  We'd better handle this one on our own."  Borgos said to Toma.

Toma turned and began to walk back to the others, "Right.  We should be okay on Meat."  Toma stopped and turned to look at Bardock, "Well, goodbye old friend."

The four, with Gohan still trailing behind them, left and returned to their shuttles.  As they reached the landing pad where the pods were still located Toma turned to Gohan.  "I know we have just barely met but I want you to come along.  Although we should be okay on Meat I have a bad feeling about this."  Toma said.

Gohan looked at Toma in surprise, _I don't want to go on a purging mission, killing evil villains is one things, killing innocent aliens are quite another… But how do I refuse?  I can't, I still have no where to go_. Gohan nodded, "Alright, I'm in." He said.

"Hey wait, we don't need this guy!"  Borgos protested.

Toma shrugged, "I know, but it just makes our job that much easier."  He said, "He's coming, and that's final."

Borgos grumbled in anger.  Celipa slapped him across the back of the head, "Oh come on Borgos; it won't be that bad.  Besides, he's much easier on the eyes then the rest of you."  She said with a laugh.

Toma shook his head, "Right, let's get going."  Toma said as he entered his space pod.

The others followed suit, leaving Gohan with Bardock's.  With a shrug he entered the pod and closed the door.  Suddenly he was once again glad he had question Vegeta about the saiyan home world.  One of the things he learned from him was how to pilot one of the space pods.

Toma's voice came on over the intercom.  "Alright everyone input these coordinates into the computer and let's go."  Toma said as he relayed a serious of numbers and letters to the others.  Gohan quickly punched in the coordinates into the pod and let the computer take care of the rest.  Soon five saiyan pods were blasting through the sky and out into space as they headed towards planet Meat.  

------------------------------

What shall they discover on planet Meat?  What surprises await Toma and his crew?

Perhaps a power beyond their wildest imagination

Or possibly they'll all experience a horrible and violent death.

Maybe they'll win the lottery...

Or find out Dadoria is actually a GIRL!  Oh the Horror!

------------------------------

Needless of the endless possibilities that awaited them upon planet Meat, Gohan decided to take a nap, one that was encourage by the sleeping gas that was being pumped into his pod.  The others soon followed suit, except Totepo who decided to eat during the entire trip.  The three hour trip to Meat passed by uneventfully and soon the saiyans pods were entering the atmosphere of the planet.

Dadoria and his men grinned at one another as they watched the saiyans descend.  Bardock and his crew wouldn't know what hit them.

When the saiyans exited their pods they looked around in surprise, the entire planet had already been trashed.  Dead bodies were scattered all over the place and there wasn't a single building left untouched anywhere.  Gohan's anger started to take hold of him, not enough to overcome his self control but it was coming close.

"What the, who could have done this?"  Toma asked in surprise.  "Weren't we sent here to clear the planet?"

Gohan shook his head, "No... you were sent here to die, and the executioners are on their way here now."  Gohan said as he stared in the direction of Dadoria and his four minions.  Gohan had recognized the pink fuzz ball's life force and knew that there could only be one conclusion as to why he was here.

Borgos gave him a funny look, "What are you talking about; there is no way you can find anyone without a scouter!"  Borgos growled, "And how do you know they are here to kill us?"

"He's right!  I don't know how he knew but he is right!"  Celipa said in shock, "There are five people heading in our direction, and one of them is far stronger then us."  She said as she read the numbers on her scouter.

"That can't be!"  Borgos exclaimed but when he turned on his scouter it confirmed it for him.

"It doesn't matter.  They may not be here to fight us."  Toma said.

Gohan glanced back at Toma and frowned, "One of them is Dadoria, I would recognize that life force anywhere."

Toma glanced at Gohan in askance, as did the others, but there question was answered as Dadoria and his four minions landed in front of them.

Dadoria frowned at Gohan for a moment but shrugged him off as nothing when his power level read only 8,000. "Well Toma, how good it is to see you again."  Dadoria said laughing.

Toma frowned, "What do you want Dadoria!  We were sent here by Frieza to clear the planet.  Why did you do it for us?"  Toma demanded.

Dadoria laughed, as did the others with him, "My dear Toma.  You don't understand.  Frieza didn't send you here to purge the planet, he sent you here to die, and I'm the one who is going to kill you. I just decided to have a little fun while I waited for your arrival."  Dadoria said with a laugh.

A slight wind picked up as Dadoria finished laughing.  Toma and the other saiyans got into fighting stances, "You won't take us down without a fight!"  Toma declared as he readied himself for the end.

"Oh but I will."  Dadoria said, "You see, you are nothing compared to me and once I'm done with you, I'm going to rejoin Frieza and watch him destroy you entire misbegotten race."

"You are right Dadoria."  A voice growled.  "They are nothing compared to you, but you are even less compared to me!"  Gohan snarled out.

Dadoria took stock of Gohan's power level and laughed again, "You!  Don't make me laugh!  You may be slightly stronger then the others, but you are nothing com…"  Dadoria trailed off as the numbers on his scouter began to rise.

"What were you saying?"  Gohan snarled as he glared at Dadoria who was currently staring at him in surprise, "I will make you **BURN** for what you have done!"  Gohan roared as he released his restraints.  The numbers on the scouters began to sky rocket as Gohan began to power up.  Wind billowed out from him as the ground began to shake.  Smalls rocks and stones lifted into the air.  Suddenly Gohan stopped yelling and stared straight forward in shock as his power up abruptly stopped.

The other stared at Gohan in disbelief as they read the numbers on their scouters, "754,000!"  Dadoria shouted out in shock as he stumbled backwards, "How is that possible?!" Dadoria stumbled back even further, "N-No way... you can't be that strong.  Y-You're just a saiyan!"  Dadoria said as he scrambled behind his cowering men.

Gohan looked down at his hands and body in shock before he lifted his face, "Why am I so weak?"  Gohan asked aloud although he wasn't really expecting an answer.

"Weak?"  Toma said in confusion, "What do you mean weak?  You're stronger then any saiyan alive!  How can you consider yourself weak?!"  Toma exclaimed.

Gohan just shook his head as he cleared it of all thought, "No matter, it's enough power to deal with scum like you." Gohan said as he growled at Dadoria.

Dadoria and his men scrambled away and tried to flee but Gohan gave them no chance to escape.  Faster then anyone could see Gohan fired five weak energy blasts at the fleeing villains, all of which hit their target.  Ashes rained down from the sky as the villains were vaporized with the exception of Dadoria who fell to the ground mortally wounded.

Gohan disappeared from sight only to reappear an instant later, standing directly over Dadoria.  "It seems my aim was a little off."  Gohan growled as he stared down at his enemy.  The ki blast had ripped through Dadoria's right shoulder completely decapitating the arm.  A torrent of blood was flowing from the wound and, unless healed or cauterized, would cause death.  Gohan wasn't satisfied with this but even he was surprised with what happened next.  He didn't know what came over him as he bent down and slammed his fist into Dadoria's chest.  Gohan made a small wall of energy deep inside his enemy a second before he tore the entire thing out, carrying an assortment of vital organs with him.  Dadoria screamed in agony for a few moments before his eyes glazed over in death.

Gohan flared his aura causing everything within a few feet of him to vaporize, excluding himself and his clothes.  Gohan sighed as he powered back down and concealed his power.  Gohan turned to regard the others that were staring at him in awe and surprise.  With a sheepish grin and a little laugh he spoke, "Ah... I don't suppose you could forget what you just saw by any chance?  I kind of lost control."  Gohan asked, he wasn't quite sure why he was so weak, or why he had lost control, but he had still displayed far more power then anyone of them had ever witnessed and more savagery then he had ever done in his life, even against Cell..

Toma was the first to recover as he shook his head clear, "No way, who are you?  How are you so strong and how are you capable of hiding it?"  Toma asked.

"Are you a super saiyan?"  Celipa asked in awe causing new waves of questions to arise in the four saiyan minds.

Gohan shrugged, "The hiding is easy.  Everyone has life force, and that energy you use and I use is just that, life force.  I've found a way of detecting it as well as hiding it.  Just takes mental control that anyone can do, generally people lack the patience to learn it.  And I already said who I was.  I'm Gohan, the son of a third class warrior.  As for how strong I am...  Let's just say there isn't, or I should say, wasn't, anything that comes close to being as strong as me.  I was the strongest single being to ever exist.  I'm not anymore... I can barely access a thousandth of my full power.  And as for being a super saiyan… Not any more."

"What do you mean not any more?  And you can only access a thousandth of your power?" Celipa asked, shock still in her system.

Gohan rubbed his foot across the ground, "Meaning I was a super saiyan, but I've gained an ability that surpasses super saiyan transformations.  I'm a mystic saiyan."  Gohan said quietly.

"Right, you expect us to believe you have surpassed the ultimate level? And what's a mystic saiyan?"  Toma asked.

"I ain't ever heard of a mystic saiyan."  Borgos said to Totepo who just nodded in agreement.

Celipa frowned at them, "Would you shut up, it doesn't matter whether or not he's telling the truth.  What is the truth is that he's extraordinarily strong, perhaps strong enough to kill Frieza."  She hissed back at them.

Gohan laughed, "Ahh... Frieza wouldn't be much of a challenge, if I still had my full power.  I managed to hurt him badly when he was in his second form while I was a child.  I'm much stronger now then I was then, or rather I was stronger.  I still don't understand why I can't access my power."  Gohan said before realizing that hadn't actually happened yet.

Toma eyed Gohan curiously, "I find that hard to believe, how you are still alive, and why hasn't any news of that reached us."

Gohan's mind was moving swiftly now, he really didn't want them to start asking him questions he wasn't prepared to answer or them to accept. "I hurt him badly enough to escape.  Frieza has been after me ever since.  That's why I don't wear saiyan battle armour and I hide my tail around my waist.  It's to make it harder to find me.  As for no news of this reaching anyone... Do you really think he would ever admit that a 'monkey' hurt him?"  Gohan asked.

Celipa nodded, "Frieza is an arrogant bastard.  He would never admit that."  She said.

It was then that Gohan noticed another saiyan pod entering the atmosphere. "It appears that Bardock has decided to join us."  Gohan said causing everyone to look up.

Toma smiled as the pod landed a few miles from their location.  Out from the pod emerged an anxious Bardock ready for battle, and some answers.  When he surveyed the devastation he chuckled to himself.

"They ploughed right through this one.  It seems like I've taught those knuckle heads a few things about fighting."  Bardock said with amusement.  His scouter began to beep, "Yup, they're still here, probably still celebrating, the lousy bums."  Bardock finished just before he took off and blasted towards their location.

When Bardock landed before his crew they all gathered around him and started to talk all at once but he wasn't paying them any attention.  He was staring right at Gohan, trembling.

"Bardock?  What's wrong?"  Toma asked and followed his gaze to Gohan, "Do you know this person?"

"Y-You can't be... from my vision... what is going on here!?"  Bardock exclaimed to himself.

"Bardock, are you alright?"  Celipa asked in concern.  "What vision?  What are you talking about?"

"That saiyan… is my grandson..."  Bardock said in shock.

Celipa exchanged confused glances with Toma.  Borgos and Totepo were completely lost and decided to sit back and let the others figure out what was going on first. "Bardock?  Did you hit your head on something upon impact?"  Celipa asked in concern.

Gohan sighed, he knew now why Bardock looked and felt so familiar. "I told you I'm the son of a third class warrior.  My father's name is Goku; well that's his human name.  His saiyan name is Kakkarot."  Gohan said.

Bardock shook his head, "No... you can't be real.  This doesn't make any sense.  How can you be the son of my son?  He's only a few days old!"  Bardock said confusedly to himself.

Gohan shrugged, "I'm not to sure on that part.  I was attempting to go super again but I failed. The resulting power that was unleashed tore reality apart and I guess I was sucked through one of the rifts.  Although I have no idea how it exactly happened, I was a little distracted at the time." Gohan answered.  Suddenly his eyes widened, "I see now... perhaps THAT'S why I can't access my full power.  I might still be recovering from the travel through space and time."

"This is a little to much to take in." Celipa said as she held her head.  She felt a migraine coming on.  

Suddenly Gohan's eyes widened as he remembered something, "Didn't Dadoria say something about Frieza exterminating the saiyans?"  Gohan said in a panic.

Five pairs of eyes widened in surprise and horror.  "We have to get back and warn the others!"  Bardock said.

The others nodded and soon they were all racing towards their pods.  Figuring out what exactly was going on could be saved for later.  Right now, they had their home to save.

To be continued...

A/N:  I may have gotten Totepo and Borgos mixed up but just bare with me.  It's a minor mistake of no consequence so just let it pass.  I may have even gotten some of their names wrong.  It all depends on what you go off: the Japanese subtitles, American dubbing, or the manga.  The names differ in each.  Don't think they even have names in the manga.

A/N: About scouters, they SHOULD have blown, but they didn't because it's my story, it's another minor thing, so don't worry about it.  I needed the numbers to show that Gohan hasn't fully recovered from his little... excursion.  He's not just going to romp through the Aeesu-jins like they were nothing but rag dolls.  That would make life too easy for him.  And yes I AM getting Frieza's racial name from Contradicting Mission but it doesn't matter.  She can only copy write the context, not the name and I have no plan on copying her idea of the Aeesu-jin home world or it's social structure.  I just used the name because it's the best one I've found.


	4. Chapter 3: A Shift in the Right Directio...

Review Response:  
Figured I'd have one of these, simply because people may want feedback from me.  Anyways…

S.S. Shadow – Yes Gohan is going to save the saiyan race, but aside from that I'm not making any guarantees about anything, mainly because like my previous stories still not to sure as to how I will go about doing the ending.  But I will let you in on one thing.  The future, and present, is what it is no matter what it can't change.  If someone goes back in time, they are SUPPOSED to go back in time, because if they didn't then the present would not exist the way it does, and the future would not unfold in the direction it must.  Confusing?  It'll get even more so when you finish reading this chapter, but only if you dwell upon what I have said.

Andross937 – As for Vegeta teaching Gohan to breathe in space, he didn't, because I don't think Bardock was actually in true space.  Perhaps the stratosphere or something, but I doubt he was in outer space.  There's no air particles out there making it impossible to talk and talk they did do.

**Chapter 3: A Shift in the Right Direction**

Six saiyan pods burned through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they shot down towards the docking area they had taken off from.  They all had noticed, and recognized, the star ship that was hovering in orbit around their planet; Frieza's ship.  They had even less time to prepare then they had originally thought.

Six loud thuds were heard as the six shuttle pods slammed into the landing pads on the star dock.  The six saiyans were out of their shuttles almost before they had landed them.  They hadn't waited for the doors to open; they just ripped them from their hinges.  After leaving their shuttles, still smoking from re-entry, they gathered together in a circle in the center of the docking station.

Bardock and his team were huddled together as they tried to think up plans on stopping Frieza.  Gohan sighed and turned to the others, "This isn't going anywhere.  I can't kill Frieza as I am but I can delay him long enough for you to gather the other saiyans."  Gohan said.

Borgos looked up at him momentarily forgetting how much stronger he was, "Hey, who died and made you boss?"  Borgos demanded.

Gohan smirked over at Borgos, "No one, but that doesn't really matter.  I know what I'm going to do, I told you what I'm capable of, at least until I'm fully healed, and that's it.  You don't HAVE to get the other saiyans, but if Frieza gets through me before the saiyans are ready..."  Gohan left the rest unsaid, it needn't be said, they all knew what would happen.

"It doesn't matter Borgos. Let's get going."  Bardock said and turned.  With one last glance at Gohan Bardock raced into the interior of the building in search of his fellow saiyans.  The rest of his team were quick to follow.

As the sounds of their footsteps faded away Gohan looked up towards Frieza.  He could sense him, even down here.  Frieza's evil aura strong was enough to make it possible even if his power level wasn't.  Gohan's eyes widened as he felt Frieza form a planet buster and soon after the glow began to emanate through the atmosphere of the planet.

Gohan clenched his fists in anger; he wasn't going to allow this to happen.  He didn't care what happened to the timeline, or how much stopping the destruction would change it, he would not stand by and let genocide occur, not while he still drew breath.  With a yell an aura erupted around Gohan and he took off through the air at super sonic speeds as he raced to stop the planet destroyer.  The unleashing of that power knocked the two star dock attendants, which had come out to look over the pods, off their feet as the shockwave overwhelmed them.  The two of them glanced over at the spot where Gohan once stood and marvelled at the crater in the star dock.  Then they looked up and fear replaced all thoughts.

Gohan's body rocketed through the air as he positioned himself directly under the giant ball of energy.  Gohan paused for a moment as he looked it over.  It was vaporizing everything in its path, even air molecules were being broken down into their basic atomic components.  Energy crackled across the surface of the sphere of energy sounding much like static electricity arcing from point to point.  The energy ball was getting larger and larger by the second as the red energy grew darker and more erratic.

Another yell and another sonic boom sounded as Gohan blasted through the air to meet the energy sphere of energy head on.  With a yell Gohan stretched his hands out in front of him and caught the energy blast.  

Up in space Frieza sat in his chair laughing as he watched the world destroyer enter the atmosphere and rubbed his hands together in anticipation for the forthcoming fireworks.  Suddenly he stopped laughing as he noticed his energy blast slow down and eventually stop.  Confusion and anger rippled through the tyrant as he glared down at the energy ball.

"What!  That can't be!  There is nothing down there that can hinder and stop my planet buster like that!"  Frieza growled in anger.

Gohan strained against the energy as he struggled against the blast.  He was glad his energy was returning, but he disliked how slow it was coming along.  With a snarl Gohan halted the blast and began to push it back.  With an animalistic roar Gohan surged forward.  With the initial momentum of the energy used up there was only one way to go, back out into space.  Gohan moved slowly at first but soon began to pick up speed as momentum began to build.  As Frieza's ball of energy moved further and further into the atmosphere it became easier for Gohan to push it as the affect of gravity on it became less and less.  With a final roar and surge of energy Gohan released his hold, spun around, and slammed his right foot into the planet destroyer.  There was a slight distortion in the spherical shape of the energy as Gohan's foot made contact but that soon smoothed out as the energy blast rocketed through the remainder of the atmosphere and back out into space.

Frieza's eyes widened in surprise as his energy blast was not only stopped, but sent right back at him.  With a snarl of annoyance, laced with more then a little fear, Frieza dodged out of the way of his planet buster and watched as it soared out of the solar system.  Frieza turned and glared down at the planet hoping to find some indication of what had just happened, and he got that indication moments later as Gohan appeared before him.

"Hello Frieza."  Gohan bit out as he stared at Frieza.

Frieza's eyes narrowed. "Pathetic monkey!  You are the one that stopped my fun!"  Frieza growled, "And I suspect you are the reason Dadoria has failed to report in."

"He was a murdering ball of pink fat.  He fell easily, and so will you."  Gohan growled hoping to bluff.  He couldn't fight Frieza toe to toe at the moment but given a days rest he would be more then powerful enough to take him on.

Frieza crossed his arms and glared down at Gohan, "I am Frieza, the strongest being in this universe!  You are nothing compared to me!"  Frieza growled in annoyance.

Gohan smirked, "You have no idea how many beings have said that to me.  Cell was the second, and he was over 50 times stronger as you in your final form, and finally Buu, who made Cell look like a kitten.  There were others but, like you, they were inconsequential." Gohan said and started to smile; his confidence was growing.

Frieza looked at Gohan like he was completely insane. "I've had enough of your babbling.  I'm not sure what idiotic things you are saying right now but it's time you learned to respect your betters… or rather, to learn when to die by them."  Frieza growled.

Gohan finally realized something he could match Frieza, even in his final form.  He knew of several ways now, and the longer he stalled, the stronger he became.  Then something clicked and Gohan laughed aloud causing Frieza to glare at him.  "You are nothing compared to me Frieza.  If you leave now I will kill you swiftly in the future rather then slowly and painfully now."  Gohan said with a grin on his face.  Something else clicked in, something that made him feel enormously better; something that made it impossible for Frieza to even hurt him.

"Listen here you little pathetic creature!"  Frieza snapped, "I am the lord of this galaxy!  I am above all else, you are NOTHING to me.  Your power…"

"…Is far greater than yours, even in your second and third forms."  Gohan finished for him; a little smile graced his face.

"What do you know about my power monkey!?"  Frieza snarled in anger.

Gohan smirked, "I know that currently I can kick you across this solar system with ease."  He said with a grin.

Frieza frowned, "You are truly pathetic if you think for a second you that I will believe that."  He said, becoming extremely annoyed at the braggart floating before him.

Gohan shrugged, "There is only one way to find out now is there?"  Gohan said.  A moment later a shockwave rippled out from Gohan as he began to power up.  Gohan just stared straight at Frieza, no breaking his gaze or saying anything, merely reading the expression that was written across the tyrants face.

Frieza pulled a scouter out from his chair and turned it on.  His face was blank as Gohan powered up to his current maximum.  When he finally stopped Frieza smirked.  "If that is all you can muster boy, you are in for a rude awakening.  It is true, that currently you could defeat me, but…"  Frieza let actions speak in place of his words.

A shockwave rippled from Frieza as he began; Gohan merely watched in boredom as Frieza started to transform into his second form.  Wind began to pick up, billow out from the tyrant as he grew taller and more bulky.  The horns on his head curved and turned upwards as they lengthened.  When he completed his transformation into the next form his height, width, and muscle mass had nearly doubled.  Much to Gohan's surprise Frieza didn't stop there but continued to morph as he transformed from his second stage to his third, and then the fourth.  When the completion of the last transformation another shockwave rippled out from Frieza as the wind died down to nothing.  The entirety of Frieza's body had been covered in a hard white exoskeleton with purple plates of an unknown material covering his shoulders, forearms, and stomach.  The horns that had been some predominant before were absent in his final form.

"Prepare to die monkey."  Frieza said.

--------------------------

Down on the planet…

Bardock and his crew rushed out of the star port and stared up into the sky.  They had been unable to convince anyone of the threat and now only hoped that they were enough, or that the others would realize their error before it was too late.  Suddenly there was a large explosion in stratosphere that momentarily blinded everyone who saw it.  Just as those blinded regained their sight there was another large explosion, only this time it came from the city.

Bardock and the others whirled around in the direction of the second explosion only to hear a third, and watch the destruction of a fairly large sky scraper.  The top of the building blasted apart and was thrown as far as the wasteland outside the city while the middle and base of the building simply collapsed and fell to the ground below.  And there, floating in the air where the top of the building had once been was Gohan.

"Bardock, look!"  Celipa said as she pointed towards something in the sky.

Bardock, along with the others, shifted their gaze to where she was pointing and spotted something else, or rather someone.  Frieza was staring at Gohan, and he looked nothing like he had previously.

"Bardock?  What are your orders?"  Toma asked.

Bardock glanced back over at his crew, "I am going to aid my grandson."  Was all he said as he took off and shot towards Gohan.

Toma and Celipa exchanged looks for a moment before they too took to the air and followed their leader.  Totepo and Borgos were quick to follow.  Other's were beginning to gather in the air, watching the confrontation with curiosity.  No one seemed to know either of the two combatants, although a few remarked that the white one looked a little like Frieza.

Gohan never took his eyes off Frieza, not even when his grandfather and his crew stopped beside him.  He knew Frieza well enough from his encounters when he was younger.  Frieza would take any opening and exploit it.  He was a malicious creature that enjoyed feeding off the agony and pain of others.  A creature that did not belong.

Bardock looked from Gohan to Frieza and back again, "Is that who I think it is?"  Bardock asked.

"Yes."  Gohan said still keeping his eyes on his opponent.  "That is Frieza, in his fourth and final form.  Fortunately he's only using about half his maximum power or that punch could have really hurt." Gasps of shock and horror rippled through the gathering crowd as the man in white was identified.

"Are you finished yapping you pathetic monkey?"  Frieza asked, "Or am I going to have to end the conversation myself!"  

Bardock glared at Frieza for a second before he turned to his grandson.  "How are you going to kill him?"  Bardock asked apprehensively.  "You said before that you were not strong enough."

Gohan smirked, "Don't worry about that.  I recalled several things while we talked in space, one of which will enable me to become strong enough to kill him.  I had forgotten about the technique because it is lethal to use while you're a super saiyan, simply because the increase in power would be so great it would tear your body apart. But now…"  Gohan trailed off for a moment as he concentrated. "**KAIO-KEN TIMES FIVE!**"  Gohan roared.

The sudden increase of energy in such a small space and in such a small time caused a shockwave to explode outwards from the young saiyan followed by a brief period of hurricane force winds.  Everyone looked on in awe as Gohan's aura burst into sight and changed to a bright red color.  "You're going down Frieza!"  Gohan yelled and shot forward.

Frieza snarled and shot forward.  The two met halfway and a shockwave rippled outwards from the point of contact.  The two began to throw a flurry of punches at one another as they ducked, blocked and redirected the attacks of the other.  Frieza was getting increasingly angry as the slug fest wore on.  Not only was the saiyan matching him blow for blow, but he could feel that Gohan's punches were hitting just a little harder then his own.  With a silent snarl he tried to quicken his attacks.

Then Frieza made a tiny slip, to most it could not even be called a slip but to Gohan, a person who had been raised to fight since the age of 5, it was a catastrophic mistake.  Frieza's kick was just a little too hard, causing him to take a fraction of a second extra to recover, but that fraction was all Gohan required.  With lightning speed he knocked the arm wide and locked Frieza's leg with his own.  Gohan twirled around in the air pulling the tyrant off balance and off guard.  Several lightning quick punches slammed into Frieza's stomach with enough force to shatter mountains which were quickly followed by a roundhouse to the face.  The last kick sent Frieza across the city.

Gohan was quick to follow but just as he was about to slam another fist into Frieza's torso the tyrant suddenly arched backwards and let out a roar.  A wave of energy rippled outwards knocking Gohan away from him.  Frieza glared at Gohan in anger.

"You are pathetic!"  Frieza spat out, "I'm through playing!  Time to show you my ultimate power."

Gohan shook his head, "It won't matter Frieza.  I'm going to kill you now, and save my father the trouble of doing it in the future."  Gohan said.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Frieza didn't hear him as he was in the midst of summoning up his full power from the depth of his body.  His body was hunched over with lightning crackled up the length of it as the tyrant brought forth the power he had held back.  His muscles, most noticeably his shoulders, bulged outwards as the muscle mass and density both increased several fold.  A red aura erupted around Frieza but unlike Gohan's it was dark red and held a radically different feel to it.  

Frieza smirked as he raised his head to look at Gohan. "Well monkey, I hope you're ready for a slow and painful death."  Frieza said maliciously.

Gohan rubbed his hand through his head and sighed, "Don't you villains ever get tired of saying those stupid lines over and over again?"  Gohan asked in mild curiosity.  "I swear, hell will freeze over the moment one of you stupid idiot's come up with something intelligent to say."

A vein popped out on Frieza's forehead as his smirk turned into a snarl, "Why you!"  Frieza yelled and shot forward.

Gohan rolled his eyes and shouted four words, "**KAIO-KEN TIMES TWENTY**!" There was a sudden and massive surge of power as a huge red aura engulfs the saiyan.  Before anyone could even register what had happened hundreds of shockwaves, followed by a larger one, rippled over everyone knocking the weaker people in the gathering from the sky.  When their eyes could register what had just transpired they were shocked to see Gohan's fist extended and Frieza was no where in sight.

Celipa looked over at Bardock, her eyes wide in shock. "Bardock… what just happened?"  She asked.

Bardock shook his head, "I'm not exactly sure…"  He confessed.

A moment later a roar of rage echoed across the sky and Frieza came into view, battered and enraged.  Bruises covered Frieza from head to toe as purple blood leaked from the multiple wounds and lacerations that covered his body.  He glared at Gohan, rage overrunning any reason and self control Frieza had once possessed. "ARGH!"  Frieza roared, "YOU STUPID MONKEY! I AM LORD OF THE UNIVERSE!  NO ONE IS STRONGER THAN ME!"

"WOULD YOU STOP CALLING ME A MONKEY AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING MORE ORIGINAL YOU VAGINAL ASSFAG!"  Gohan yelled, more pissed off at the repeated use of monkey then anything else.

"WHY YOU! YOU STUPID MONK…"

Frieza's tirade was cut off as Gohan's fist slammed into his jaw with enough force to rend it from Frieza's face. Frieza stumbled back holding his ruined face in agony. "You have finally decided to shut up."  Gohan said, smiling happily, "Good choice… although I must admit you didn't REALLY have any choice in the matter."  Gohan floated back a few feet and surveyed Frieza's ruined face. "You know what Frieza.  I think you actually look better that way."

Frieza summoned a ball of ki and pressed it to his face cauterizing the wound.  When the blood flow had ceased he stared at Gohan, murderous rage burning so brightly it seemed to rival the sun.  Gohan's eyes widened in mock surprise and horror as amusement flashed through them, "My oh my!  I didn't know you possessed a brain!"  Gohan said in mock awe. "I thought you would have been stupid enough to try and fight me with your blood leaking out of your face."

Gohan blinked suddenly as he felt a fist lightly tap his face.  He crossed his eyes to bring the object into focus.  The hand slowly retracted revealing a certain Aeesun staring back at him in shock and horror.  Before the hand could be pulled all the way back Gohan grabbed it and held it firm.  He stared at Frieza, a little smile on his face. "I told you that you could die slowly now, or quickly later.  Apparently you want to die slowly."  Gohan said quietly.

Gohan clenched his fist, causing bones to shatter, muscles to tear, and veins to explode. Frieza's head thrashed back and forth in agony as he tried to pull loose but Gohan held firm.  He brought his other hand around and clasped the elbow of the arm with the shattered hand.  Another clenched fist and more sounds of shattering bones filled the air.  Gohan let go of the shattered hand and reached up to grip the shoulder.  Gohan turned to look into Frieza's eyes, and saw nothing but fear and terror, and the impending darkness that comes with the knowledge of one's death.  Gohan closed his eyes and smiled as he tore the arm off.

Frieza jerked back in agony and doubled over as he clutched his ruined shoulder with his good hand.  When he raised his head to stare at Gohan his eyes widened as he saw Gohan smiling at him. "Missing something?"  Gohan asked as he waved the decapitated arm in the air.  Frieza's power level had dropped drastically due to the tender administrations he was receiving from Gohan.  It was now at a level where it would have been impossible to evolve into his forth form if he was not already in it.

Frieza turned to run but Gohan caught him before he had gone more then a few meters.  Gohan twisted Frieza around and proceeded to tear his other arm off.  Gohan slammed a foot into the tyrant's stomach breaking a few ribs and sending the tyrant tumbling back towards the gathered saiyans.  When Frieza finally manage to halt his progression he looked up, only to find Gohan standing a few feet in front of him.

Gohan waved both arms in front of the tyrant and smiled again, "You have been officially disarmed Frieza, why not just give up now."  Gohan asked.

Frieza tried to respond but all that came out was a faint, unintelligible mumble.  Gohan's eyes widened, "What's that?  You want the other saiyans to take a crack at you?"  Gohan asked in surprise. "My, how generous of you, trying at atone for your sins at the very end.  It's so beautiful."  Gohan said, as he pretended to wipe fake tears from his eyes, completely ignoring the vigorous shaking of the tyrants head.  Suddenly two lightning fast kicks lashed out and the bones in Frieza's legs shattered into millions of shards.

Gohan floated back a few meters and surveyed his handy work.  After a moment he smiled happily, threw the two dismembered arms behind and turned to address the gathering. "Alright, I'm not TOO sure who wants to lay into this shit but he's…"  He didn't need to go on as hundreds of saiyans and aliens attacked Frieza in a murderous frenzy.

Gohan's eyes widened slightly in surprise and he dropped out of the Kaio-ken attack.  "Well, I never thought they were THAT eager to kill the bastard."  Gohan said.

"It's not surprising."  Bardock said as he floated over to join his grandson, his crew members were not far behind. "Some have benefited from Frieza's rule, but the majority of the people only obeyed out of fear, nothing more.  You've given them all the chance that few have dared to even dream about."

Gohan nodded and then looked at his hands, a sickened expression crossing his face, "What has come over me...?"  Gohan asked quietly to himself.

"What's wrong?"  Celipa asked.

Gohan raised his eyes to meet her and she gasped.  The eyes had a haunted look to them, but more then anything it was the pain that burned behind them that grabbed her.  "What am I turning into?  I've always enjoyed a good fight; I've never had a problem with that but…  I actually enjoyed tearing Frieza's limbs from his body.  I enjoyed inflicting pain upon his body.  I practically drank the fear and horror that emanated from his eyes near the end of the fight.  I'm turning into… into the very things I have spent my entire life fighting."  Gohan said, his voice slightly cracking near the end.

Bardock patted his grandson on the back, "Don't worry about it, everyone has their moments."  He lied, as he comforted Gohan.  Bardock was just as worried as Gohan was on the inside, but unlike Gohan he knew how to conceal his feelings and was a good liar.  Saiyans enjoyed fighting, and killing but what Gohan had done to Frieza went beyond that and delved into the realm of pure sadism.

Suddenly there was a commotion over in the crowd.  Someone burst from the crowd and took off at a high speed clutching Frieza's mutilated head in their arms.  Several others took off after the person wanting to take the head as a trophy as well.

Gohan shook his head in sadness, "Do you know of any place I could stay?"  Gohan asked his grandfather.  "I'm tried and… well…  I just need some time to think."

Bardock grinned, his mouth widening further then it should have, "Sure Gohan.  Accommodations have already been taken care of.  In fact I do believe she is here right now.  I do hope you enjoy them.  Only the best for you."  Bardock said.

"So, your name is Gohan.  It is an odd name, but an adequate one."  A feminine voice said from behind.

Gohan whirled around to face a female saiyan and his eyes widened in surprise.  She wasn't wearing the standard saiyan battle armor; rather she was wearing plain leather boots that went halfway up her calves and brown leather leggings.  She wore a white, sleeveless shirt that left her belly button exposed and was cut low enough to reveal just a hint of her breasts.  Over the shirt she wore a dark overcoat with sleeves cut off at the elbow and was currently undone.  Dark leather gloves, each adorned with a large diamonded on the back and sparkled even when light wasn't shining upon them, covered her two small, yet obviously powerful hands.  She had a small, pert mouth with a small nose and large black eyes.  Her face was framed with a crop of short black hair that almost seemed to glow.  He skin was lightly tanned and her small, but full, breasts filled her shirt nicely hinting at things but giving away nothing.  She was, what many would consider, the perfect female when it came to looks but that's not what caught Gohan's attention.  It was the fact that he knew her.  She was the same saiyan that had stopped him earlier that day just before Bardock had arrived and what was worse was now that he was getting a good look at her, she reminded him of someone else.

"It's you!"  Gohan said.

The female smiled, "I'm so glad you remembered me."  She practically purred.

Gohan scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, "Heh, I've never forgotten anything in my life.  My mother is… rather was, big on making me study.  Now I have a habit of cataloguing everything I see, hear, feel or smell so it can be brought up for future use.  I don't quite have a photographic memory but it comes close."  He said.

The girl frowned, that wasn't what she wanted to hear. "Oh really?" She asked, her voice changing slightly.

Gohan nodded, missing the change.  Thanks to Vegeta's advice he had made a little improvement in the area of understanding women but he was still far from the average person and who can really say they truly understand a female or all their little nuisances, "Although I think anyone with any kind of memory would be able remember someone like you."  Gohan said with a little smile, "I've seen very few women come close to matching your looks."

The girl's eyes widen in surprise and then happiness, "Well now, I'll take that as an apology then." She said with a smile.

"Huh?"  Gohan asked, blinking his eyes in confusion.

The girl smiled, "Allow me to introduce myself."  She said and pulled out a golden tiara studded with various precious gems from a pack she had been carrying at her side.  She began to twirl it around her fingers as she spoke.  "I am Karreth, Princess of the Saiyan Race."

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise and he turned around to look at the others but they were already kneeling, and looked as if they had been for some time.  He whirled back around and stared at her again, "Princess?  What?!  I never knew Vegeta had a sister!"  Gohan said in shock before he was able to clamp his mouth shut.  He had been making to many slips already, the fewer that knew he was from the future the better.

Her eyes crinkled, "Where have… oh I see."  She said as it dawned on her, scaring Gohan for a second until she opened her mouth, "You've been training so hard to beat Frieza that you never got out so you don't know who I am."  She said.  Gohan just smiled nervously and didn't say anything.

She smiled, "That's alright!  I've been in hiding myself for awhile.  Frieza always did have a sick perversion with females, and the higher ranking the more enjoyable he finds them.  It's just been this past year that knowledge of me has been filtering out.  Vegeta was furious to say the least to know that he has an elder sister and that it wouldn't be him that ascended the thrown.  He naturally challenged me but I defeated him.  He's probably training to defeat me and take his place as ruler."  She said with a smile.

Gohan scratched his head, "I, ah, suppose that makes sense."

She smiled, "Good, now let's head to the palace.  There will be a feast in your honour and, of course, you'll stay at the palace.  It is the… least I can do for someone of your… calibre.  You're a hero now that the tyrant is dead.  We can finally live the way WE want to live and not dance to the tune of that perverted jackass."  She said, her face getting dark.

"What about…" Gohan started.

She waved her hand, "Yes, bring your friends along as well.  I don't care."  She said and took off, knowing that the others would follow. Gohan shrugged and flew off after her.  He didn't know what she wanted with him but it didn't matter.  He had gotten a place to rest but, more importantly, he was going to receive food.  The others exchanged grins and flew off after Gohan and Karreth.  This was an honour that few saiyans ever received and they were not going to pass up on the offer.

Bardock looked at Celipa as they flew through the city, "Today has been a very odd day."  He said.

Celipa nodded, "Fun though, what about your mate?  Are you going to get her and bring her along?  I don't think the princess will hold a grudge against you for doing that."  She said.

Bardock looked away, "She died giving birth to my second son…"  He said.

Celipa looked over at him in surprise, "Oh… I'm… sorry.  I know what it feels like to lose a mate."  She said.  They settled down into an uncomfortable silence, but one that neither was willing to break.

To be continued…

A/N: Lousy place to end, I know, there should have been a cliff hanger of some sort but… ah well.  There isn't any real good place to end it here and it's long enough so…  Here she is.  Enjoy it.

A/N: There are several things wrong with the space scene, I know, like being able to breath/speak/whatever in space, but in the Bardock Special everyone could easily hear Bardock, Frieza, Frieza's henchmen and all that despite being in space.  For that to occur you need sufficient air particles, and if you have sufficient air particles you can speak and be heard and even create shockwaves and wind.  Let's just say that Frieza was in the stratosphere.  Pretty sure there are enough air particles there to be able to speak and be heard and create shockwaves.

A/N: Ok, I lied; he IS going to romp through the Aeesu-jins.  Plus I realized something.  Aessu-jin, saiya-jin.  In English Aessu-jin is probably equivalent to Aessun as Saiya-jin is equal to Saiyan.  I could be wrong but, oh well that's what I'm going to use.  I forgot he had to ability to use kaio-ken.  My bad, hehe.  He never used it in the series but… that sure as hell doesn't mean he CAN'T use it especially seeing how there was a high possibility of Goku teaching it to him in the room of spirit and time.

A/N: I put in different fashions because frankly, no one can really blame me for not putting everyone in saiyan battle armor.  The only ones that will be in that armor are guards and those going to, are on, or coming back from missions. 

A/N: Gohan may seem OOC but guess what, LIVE WITH IT!  Hehe.  Got a problem, stop reading and look elsewhere.  I'm not going to drastically change his personality or anything.  He's not going to suddenly turn into Vegeta or become a womanizer like Roshi, he's just going to become a little different, more violent and outspoken but still possessing the shyness (when it comes to certain things) and naivety he previously had. 


	5. Chapter 4: Integration

A/N: Oh, by the way, in case you are wondering it is possible to calculate how fast Gohan is regaining his power.  I've given enough information and now it's up to you to do the rest, if you want to.  I'll just say this; it has been going up at a steady rate from 1 ever since he first arrived on planet Vegeta.

Review Response:

Dany Le Fou – Alright, for the Frieza Saga. Vegeta and Kakkarot were about the same when Frieza transformed into his full state but Vegeta had Krillen send him to near death state where Dende healed him.  Then Vegeta hit 1,000,000 but by this time Frieza was using half his maximum power which is 6,000,000 and beat Vegeta into the ground.  Then Goku appeared with a power level of 300,000, after his fight with Ginyu.  From there he used Kaio-ken doubles, triples, quadruples and so on and so forth until you hit level 20 which means 20x max power.  Or in Goku's case 6,000,000.  He got faught Frieza to a standstill because they had roughly the same power level but Frieza could still draw upon more so he had the upper hand.  Then when Goku got weaker he did spirit bomb blah blah blah and went super and had a power level of 15,000,000 while Frieza, at maximum, only had 12,000,000 so Goku then beat him into the ground.  Gohan also knows kai-ken but, unlike Goku when he fought Frieza, his base with higher then his fathers, by quite a bit so when he went to x20 his power level shot above 20,000,000. 

Switch – Alright switch, it was explained in the first chapter.  Gohan is 100% saiyan, mentally, spiritually and biologically.  His nature IS slightly different from normal saiyans simply because his upbringing was different but during combat his saiyan nature comes out in full force.

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**Chapter 4: Integration**

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Gohan glanced around nervously.  He was not used to being the center of attention and did not particularly enjoy it.  He was seated at a long, rectangular table that stretched across the center of a huge dining room.  There was a large, ornate, chair located at the head of the table that was currently unoccupied because at this moment there was no ruler of the planet.  King Vegeta had been killed trying to rescue his son leaving the position vacant.  Only those of royal blood were allowed to sit upon the chair and Karreth needed a mate while Vegeta needed to become older, and defeat Karreth in single combat.  Just to the right of the large chair sat Karreth, fully dressed in her royal saiyan battle armor and cape.  Beside her was Gohan, cleaned but still dressed in his earlier clothing.  He had been adamant about not wearing the battle armor, saying it was too bulky and would get in the way while eating.  Beside him was his grandfather, Bardock with Toma beside him and then Celipa, Totepo and lastly Borgos.  The other side of the table had five people, three advisors and two visiting ambassadors from different planets.  

Everyone was talking to the people next to them as they awaited their dinner.  Official discussions and serious talking took place after dinner while social conversation took place before, and on rare occasion the meal.  They were rare because everyone was usually to busy feeding to talk.  Borgos and Totepo were talking quietly among themselves, talking about how lucky they were to be seated at the royal table. Toma, Celipa and Bardock talked quietly among each other talking about various topics, while the advisors and ambassadors talked quietly among themselves about the weather and what they may or may not do now that Frieza was out of the equation.  The Saiyans were all wearing top quality battle armor, with the exception of Gohan, who was still in his gi, and Karreth, who had special armor.  The ambassadors were clothed in their most resplendent robes with several pieces of jewelry hanging from their necks coupled with rings on their fingers.

Gohan let his gaze wander around the room taking everything in.  The table was constructed from the finest timbre found in the galaxy, which meant that Gohan had no clue as to what it was; only that it was soft, yet extremely durable and dense.  One could press into it for a few millimeters but it was impossible, even for Gohan, to make it compress even further. Although what Gohan found the most remarkable about it was how it always seemed warm to the touch, as if it was a living being that radiated heat energy.  The table was plain, yet elegant at the same time.  No one place was overly gaudy or ornate but neither was any place simple.  The chairs were made from the same material as the table but had the addition of cushions on the arms, backs and seats of the chair.  The room itself was a high vaulting chamber with columns spaced at even intervals on either side of the room.  The floor was tiled with tiles of zorite, a substance much like marble but is much harder to break down through weathering processes, with swirls of grey and white vying for competition.  Gohan narrowed his eyes as he stared at one of the columns on the other side of the room.  Finally he smiled, the columns were covered in the same material as the floor tiles; they were just a slightly different color being white and blue instead of white and gray. The room was lighted, during the day, by the light from the sun.  The entire upper portion of the vaulted ceiling had been turned into a sunroof that, depending on the whim of the host, let in differing amounts of sunlight.  When there was no natural light, the globes of glass the hung from the columns lighted up; bathing the room in a soft glow that was neither too bright nor too dim.  There were three entrances, or exits, throughout the room.  There were two doors at the far end behind the head of the table and a pair of large metallic doors at the far end of the room from the head.  The double doors served as the main entrance and exit from the room while the two doors behind the head of the table lead to the royal quarters and kitchen.  Gohan was drawn out of his thoughts by a female voice.

 "So Gohan, how do you like my palace?"  Karreth asked.

Gohan thought for a moment, "It's… nice.  A little too utilitarian for my taste but I suppose that is to be expected considering who we are."  Gohan said.

Karreth raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you think the place is a little bland?" she inquired.

Gohan scratched the back of his head and let out a little laugh, "I suppose, I'm just not used to it, that's all."  He said quickly.

Karreth laughed, "You don't need to be nervous Gohan.  I'm not going to bite… well, not unless you want me to." She said with a grin.

Gohan's eyes widened at the implication, "Ah, no it's ok."

Karreth smiled wider, "Are you sure?  I could arrange for us to have some quality time together, alone." She whispered huskily.

Gohan was furiously shaking his head as his face became inflamed, "N-No that's ok, I, ah…"  Gohan stammered.

Bardock elbowed his grandson in the ribs and leaned over to whisper into his ears, "Lucky dog, the princess wants to take you as her mate."

Gohan's face, from the tips of his ears to the base of his throat, became beat red causing Bardock to laugh.  "Bardock, come on, I'm not ready for one yet."  Gohan protested.

Karreth smiled widely.  _So he's strong, handsome, shy, and hard to get_.  Karreth thought, _this __is going to be fun_.

When Gohan finally managed to regain some of his natural color in his face he turned to Karreth with a question, "Karreth, why exactly were you in the city today?  Should you not have been inside the palace trying to consolidate your hold on the throne?"

"Yes, I probably should have been, but I had been doing that for the past year now. But I wasn't getting anywhere so I decided I needed to take a vacation.  I was heading to my private shuttle hangar when I met you.  You intrigued me so much at the time that I had decided to stay and find out more about you."  She said with a smile, "And as for my hold on the throne, it is absolute, provided I find a mate before Vegeta comes of age, but that isn't for another ten years, so I have plenty of time."

"Where were you planning on going?"  Gohan asked curiously.  If what she had said was true then she would have been off the planet when it had exploded meaning that in his time there should have been five living full-blooded saiyans, not four.

Karreth thought for a moment, "Oh I don't know, I had several picked out.  Namek was one, nice scenery, or at least it was, filled with weaklings so I could have been able to relax.  Earth was another, peaceful, beautiful, one of the most beautiful planets, too bad it's being destroyed by its inhabitants, if they only knew what they were losing."  She said wistfully, "Would have made a nice place to conquer and use as a tourist attraction.  And then there was planet Navin, which is just one large ocean with an aquatic species living upon it.  Always wanted to see what the world looked like beneath the water.  There aren't any lakes or oceans on this planet, just the odd shallow river from time to time after a particularly hard rainstorm."

"I see."  Gohan said as he began to think deeply.

"Something wrong?"  Karreth asked.

Gohan shook his head, "No, no there isn't."  He said with a little smile but he had made a decision.  He couldn't, in good conscious, get close to Karreth.  Friends they could become, but nothing more.  Not after what he had just figured out.

One of the advisors opened his mouth to speak to Gohan but closed it as the far right door opened up to reveal a long procession of servants.  Each servant carried a dish of some sort or another to the table where the placed them carefully, yet swiftly, upon the table.  There were all sorts of foods, some exotic and mysterious having been imported from foreign planets;; while others were native dishes.  The majority of the food consisted of meat and other animal products, much to the delight of the seated saiyans, but there were some plant biomass as well, although mostly for the ambassadors then the saiyans.  When all of the food had been placed upon the tables the servants bowed and quickly left the dining chamber.

Karreth looked around and smiled at everyone that was gathered.  "This feast has been prepared in honor of the brave and powerful saiyan Gohan who has finally rid the universe of the most obnoxious, and annoying prick to have ever existed, Frieza."  There was laughter all around the table, "Now, let's eat!"  Karreth said and dug into her food.

Not needing any other encouragement, everyone else around the table began to feast upon the food on the table.  Now, since we all know what happens when many hungry saiyans dig into a table filled with food I really don't need to describe it here, but needless to say, there wasn't anything left.  There had been little to no conversation as most of the occupants sitting at the table were to busy shoveling handfuls of food down their throats to be bothered with chewing, breathing or obeying the laws of the universe let alone speaking.  Miraculously, or perhaps not considering it dealt with food, there wasn't a crumb to be seen anywhere when the meal had concluded.  The dishes were left sparkling clean after thorough tongue cleaning by their owners and, aside from the rather large stack of empty dishes; the table was completely clean and cleared of everything.  When the servants came back in and took the dirty dishes away, normal conversation started up again and the laws of the universe once again began to apply to those gathered at the table.

"Gohan."

"Yes?"  Gohan said, directing his attention to the advisor that was addressing him.

"Don't take this the wrong way; I am grateful towards you for killing Frieza.  He had a habit of killing the king's advisor for no apparent reason." He started.

"Frieza had a habit of killing anyone and everyone for no apparent reason."  Gohan pointed out.

The advisor nodded and cleared his throat, "I know, but the thing is that… there is no record of you anywhere in our data banks."  He said.

_Oh shit_, Gohan thought, he hadn't thought about this occurring.  He noticed everyone staring at him, waiting for his response. "Are you sure?"  Gohan asked, hoping to buy a little time to think of something.

The advisor nodded, "Yes I am, I have checked multiple times and there is no record of you ever existing: No picture, birth date, name, parents, nothing."  He said.

"I do believe you are mistaken Hirat."  Bardock said, his face completely blank, "Try Trilial, Gohan is the name his mother had always wanted him to possess, but the Board of Conception wouldn't allow it so they made an 'official' name that they approved of.  It also helped serve to hide him from Frieza and others that wished his demise."

The advisor who had been identified as Hirat blinked curiously, "Is that true?"  Hirat said, looking at Gohan.

Gohan nodded, not trusting himself enough to speak and hoping Bardock knew what he was talking about.  They both knew that there was no record of him simply because, he truly did not exist, not yet anyways.  Karreth snapped her fingers twice and a spherical shaped object appeared suddenly before her.  She pressed something on the object and it expanded to reveal a large screen.

"Show me the record of Trilial."  Karreth commanded the computer.

A bar popped up asking to hold for a moment and a moment later the file of Trilial appeared on the screen.  Gohan's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped but thankfully he was able to recover before anyone noticed, not that anyone would notice as their jaws had also dropped to the floor.  Sure enough, just like Bardock had said, was Gohan's file.  It was complete with everything, too complete, and that is what made everyone's jaw drop.  In the top left corner were four pictures.  The first picture was of Gohan where he was a child when he was first born.  Below it was a power reading showing how strong he was upon birth. The second picture was Gohan during the time just before he had fought Frieza on planet Namek.  This one displayed him in the saiyan battle armor with his hair gelled down.  The third picture was from after his training in the room of spirit in time.  He was wearing the improved saiyan battle armor but it was in perfect condition not the battered condition it had truly been in.  This is the picture that caused jaws to drop.  In addition to the saiyan armor he had a mane of flowing yellow hair that spiked upwards and teal eyes.  It was a picture of a super saiyan in its full glory.  The next picture showed him at his present age of 18 with his current clothing.  Aside from the pictures, there was additional information:  Hair color, eye color, birthday, weight, height, etc.  In the top right corner there were two smaller pictures of his parents.  What surprise Gohan the most was that they were his actual parents.  It had a picture of his father, taken from the fight with cell.  It had Kakkarot below it instead of Goku but that was his true name.  Beside the picture of his father was a picture of Chichi, taken from around the same time as his father's.

_Great… so much for keeping my abilities a secret_. Gohan thought glumly.

"As you can see, Gohan is in the records."  Bardock said calmly, "You just need to know where to look.  Gohan was brought up to fight, and kill, creatures like Frieza.  That is one of the reasons for his existence.  His father, Kakkarot, was able to transform into a super saiyan and was the strongest fighter to have ever exist until his son surpassed him.  He was chosen to mate with a female of excellent integrity.  She had a gentle, caring hand but was not afraid to take drastic measures to ensure that her child was brought up properly."

Gohan nodded to himself.  What Bardock said accurately described his parents alright.  Chichi was a great mother but should one step across the line she exploded at them, no matter who they were.  The only thing that was bothering Gohan was just how exactly Bardock knew all of this and how it all suddenly appeared in the saiyan databanks.

Karreth pointed to the third picture and turned to Gohan. "Is that what a super saiyan looks like?"  Karreth asks, "I mean the yellow hair and teal eyes."

Gohan nodded, "Yes, that's me.  It was just after I had finished training for a year in a special chamber that would change its gravity, temperature and air density at the drop of a hat."  He said quietly.

Hirat frowned at the picture of Kakkarot, "How is it that two super saiyans have lived right under our noses and not even a single person has reported it?"  Hirat demanded.

Gohan was once again saved by Bardock, "Because the people who have ever seen the super saiyan transformation no longer exist."

"So you're telling me that Gohan and his father killed everyone that saw them when they were transformed?" Hirat asked.  Bardock merely smiled and shrugged.  Hirat nodded and smiled. "I see, super saiyans are supposed to be absolutely ruthless killers so it stands to reason that they would.  But even when they aren't transformed they would still have a tremendous amount of power, how is it that the scouters have never been able to pick it up?"  Hirat asked.

"That is because we've learned to conceal our power."  Gohan said, happy he was able to supply an answer, "Ask the others I was with, my power level read 8,000 until I released my mental constraints.  If I truly wished it I could lower my power level into the negatives but there isn't really any need for that."

Hirat frowned for a moment before sitting back in acknowledgement.  Others began to bombard him with questions, everything from his favorite food to his future plans.  Gohan did his best to answer everyone's questions but more often then not it was Bardock who supplied the answer.  Gohan wasn't sure how but no matter what he and Bardock said the others seemed to accept it without question.  This didn't stop them from asking other, different questions but it was something at least.

When the questions stopped bombarding him he let out a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair.  He turned to look back at the profile but Karreth caught his eye.  She had been silent through the entire interrogation and now he knew why.  Her eyes were practically glowing as she stared at him in rapture.  Gohan started backwards a little and stared at Karreth nervously, "Ah, Karreth?"  Gohan asked.

"Yes Gohan?"  She replied, her voice dripping with so much awe and ecstasy that it seemed as if she was gazing at a God.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"  He asked nervously.

"I'm not staring."  She said as she stared deeply into Gohan's eyes.

Gohan swallowed nervously and slowly turned away from her gaze, conscious that she was still staring at him.

"Hey Go…" She stopped as she saw Gohan hold shake his head violently as he held it with his left hand.

"Argh…"  Gohan said as he stood up, trying to clear his head.  "All of a sudden I'm not feeling too good.  I have a major headache, you know, the ones that make your head feel as if it is about to explode?"

Karreth stood up with him, rapture and awe disappeared from her eyes to be replaced with concern. "What's wrong?"  She asked as she reached out to touch him.

Gohan pitched forward, catching himself on the table, his arms outstretched.  Buckets of sweat were pouring from the pours on his body.  Suddenly Gohan arched back and screamed in pain as he clutched his head between his hands.  For a moment it seemed as if there were multiple Gohan's occupying the same place all in differing states of agony before a soundless explosion erupted.  There was no fire, no shockwave, nothing except for a small ripple in reality that went missed by all save one.

Time literally stopped as Gohan tilted and fell backwards with his arms before him.  As Gohan hit the floor he heard voices rise and then fade around him as darkness rushed up to engulf him.  Suddenly a single voice boomed inside his mind.  **_HUH, THAT SHOULD HAVE WORKED.  THIS… MAY BE A PROBLEM_**, and then everything disappeared.

The End. 

Hehe j/k

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry for the shorter, probably my shortest of all time, chapter but that seemed like the perfect place to end it!  Gohan was swallowed up by darkness!  OMG!  HE'S DEAD!!! (Acts like an immature writer) I think that has got to be my best cliff hanger yet.  And in a certain sense, he IS dead, permanently, and that will never ever change.  Just wait and see.


	6. Chapter 5: Revelation

A/N: Whew, sorry for the late post, finals hit me, and are still hitting me but I found some time to finish the chapter.  Hope you enjoy this one.  I'm kinda giving away more information then I really want to but… oh well, I can just make this stuff obvious and have different twists later on…

**Chapter 5: Revelation**

In the space between reality, where matter and anti-matter coexisted in balance and harmony, where the laws of physics were changed daily to suit the needs of the current resides, a huge being sat cross-legged on nothing as he contemplated a dire situation.  It was not looking good.  Something had gone wrong, yet again, causing his plans to go awry.  He grumbled to himself.  This was starting to become a regular occurrence, not only with his plans, but with his sibling's as well.  He looked over the situation again and grumbled once more.  This was definitely not good.

**_IS THERE A PROBLEM BROTHER?_** A clear, feminine voice rang inside his head.

**_YOU COULD SAY THAT._** The brother responded.

**_OH?_** She asked.

The male supremacy frowned for a moment before he responded, **_I TRIED TO INTEGRATE MY _****_CHOSEN_****_ INTO THE TRUE REALITY BUT FAILED.  EITHER HE RESISTED IT OR SOMETHING HINDERED ME CAUSING THE PROCEDURE TO GO AWRY._**

The other's eyes widened in surprise, **_SO THAT MEANS_**…

The brother nodded sadly, **_YES, IT MEANS THAT HE IS NO LONGER_**…

-

-----------------------

-

On planet Ichiecal…

King Cold was upset, no, upset wasn't the word that described his mental state, enraged, furious, would be better words although a more accurate description would be 'engulfed in an insane rage'.  News had just reached him of his sons death, the son he had worked so hard to train and prepare to be his successor to the Cold Empire.  The bearer of this news, a small, in comparison to Cold, alien decked out in battle armor, was trembling before the powerful Aeesu-jin.  Seeing a nine foot towering monstrosity standing before you with red lightning crackling out from his body with enough force to vaporize you is an unsettling sight to say the least.

As it was the alien messenger was glad he was just out of range of the arcs of lightning.  She had no desire to become instant barbeque.  Cold and the messenger were not alone.  The two of them were inside King Cold's large throne room.  There were multiple guards lining either side of the room, but they were more ceremonial then anything.  Cold had never expected anyone to be strong enough to even come close to challenging him.  The throne room itself was actually just a large cavern that had been carved out from a smaller cavern in the depths of a large mountain.  Columns lined either side, natural columns that were created when a stalagmite and a stalactite connected together.  Other changes had been done to the room, namely the floor had been covered with white-blue tiles with a long, soft blue carpet extending down the length of the room.  The throne looked as if it had been carved from ice but in reality it was merely crystal.  King Cold may not mind cold but unlike what his name may suggest there are far better materials to build chairs from.

King Cold glared down at the messenger, the only thing that kept him from annihilating all traces of the pathetic creature was the fact that she had served him well in the past by relaying accurate and precise information, it also helped that she was currently the only one he had who could tell him the details of his son's death.  King Cold, with obvious effort, calmed down enough so that he was able to articulate his words clearly and not spew them out in a mangled mess of sounds and spit.  "Tell me all about my son's death Jariery; don't leave a single detail out.  I want to know exactly who killed him and how the fucker did it.  I want every little detail; if you manage to do this adequately enough you may just walk out of here alive."  He spat out.

Jariery nodded shakily, she knew the chances of surviving this were slim if she told him everything, but if she didn't tell him everything there was no chance at all.  "W-Well my liege.  I-It was a saiyan. Y-Your son had decided that the saiyans had lived long enough, thought that they might become a threat if left unattended to long…"  She took in a deep breath to calm herself before continuing.  "He, you son, tried to destroy the planet from the stratosphere but…  Somehow this saiyan knew it was coming.  He had already positioned himself to block the attack before it was even formed.  I believe that there is either a spy among your troops or… the saiyans have developed a new technique that allows them to see the future..."

"You're not here to think!  You're here to tell me what happened!  Leave the thinking to those who have the mental capacity to do it!  Now continue!"  King Cold yelled. 

The messenger nodded vigorously, "Y-Yes your majesty.  W-Well this saiyan, he not only stopped the planet destroying attack but he sent it back out at the prince.  I didn't see what happened next as they were to far away but when next I saw them your son was in his final form and this saiyan was staring at him like he was nothing, and then he became as nothing as the saiyan shouted something out.  This red aura erupted around the saiyan and he became much more powerful then your son.  This… This saiyan tore your son apart, and he enjoyed it.  It was the scariest sight I had ever seen in my life.  It wasn't the actions that sickened me; it was the look in his eyes as he literally rent your son limb from limb.  After he was finished he threw the mangled body, still alive but incapable of doing anything, to the masses. Hundreds of saiyans attacked him and tore what was left apart.  All I know is that the lifeless head is hanging from some saiyan's wall as a trophy, there wasn't enough left of the body to fill a cup…  After that some girl, I think she was the saiyan princess, I wasn't close enough to hear the conversation but they headed towards the palace afterwards and she taken some sort of tiara out of one of her pockets and…"

"Wait…  Princess?  Since when was there ever a princess?  King Vegeta only had 1 child, a son, and what were these… words the saiyan shouted out to gain this aura."  Cold asked.  He was intrigued now.  If there was some sort of technique that was capable of boosting ones power many times then he would acquire it no matter the cost.

Jariery nodded, "Yes, princess.  No saiyan would dare try to imitate royalty by having that kind of ornament, not even for show.  But she had it, and she led the saiyan and his group to the palace.  Those words, that the saiyan shouted… he…  I think it was something like 'kaoi-kan' or something like that 'times something'."

"That's enough."  Cold said, a smile gracing his face, "So, the saiyan was trained by the gods themselves.  I see, it makes sense.  They fear me so much that they themselves are taking direct action to remove me and crumble my empire.  That technique, 'Kaio-ken', multiplies one's power, wouldn't it be ironic that I should acquire the very power that the gods bestowed upon a lowly saiyan to destroy me.  On top of that the saiyans have a princess now… hmmm… I wonder what she's like.  I'll kill their entire race, except her and that other saiyan.  I can use the two of them:  The former as my breeding slave and the second as a means to acquire a technique that will ensure my complete and utter domination over this universe."  King Cold leaned backwards and roared with laughter, "And with this slave, I can just breed another son.  I had to use a pathetic weakling for the Frieza and Cooler; I wonder what someone with at least some power will provide me with."  Cold looked down at Jariery, "I thank you for your information.  Since I'm in such a good mood I'll let you live, if you manage to get out of my sight within three seconds."  He said with a grin.

Jariery was up and gone before he had finished talking.  Cooler calmly counted and was slightly disappointed when Jariery managed to get out a split second before he said three.  "No matter."  He said to himself, "There are far more important things to attend to."  King Cold left the throne room to prepare himself for the journey to planet Vegeta, never noticing the glow that was coming from behind his throne.

-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-

An hour later at some unknown location…

Two cloaked figures stood face to face in what appeared to be black everything.  They couldn't see each other, but that wasn't surprising as they couldn't see anything at all.  Every wavelength of radiation was being absorbed, nothing was being reflected effectively making the room eternally dark, but that didn't matter, not to creatures such as themselves.

"So, is it proceeding according to plan?"  The first creature asked.

"Yesss.  We ssshall sssee the resssultsss sssoon."  The second replied.

"Good, good, and what about them?"

The second grinned.  The grin wasn't visible but the intent was.  "They are ssstill cluelessssss.  Asss for the othersss.  They will do our work for usss.  And he will lead usss to ssshe and all will be well."

"That is good to hear.  I have to report this to our superior.  Go back to your duties and make sure nothing screws up."  There was no sound, no movement, no indication that the first had left, just the absence of intent.

The second creature snarled, "Why mussst I do thessse menial choresss.  The massster can do it all himssself in a matter of momentsss without resssorting to thessse… gamesss.  Thisss Gohan isss a weakling."

-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-

Three days later on planet Vegeta…

Gohan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.  Although the light in the room was subdued it still pierced his eyes as if he was staring at the sun.  He covered his eyes with a hand and stifled a second groan.  Now that the pain of the light was gone the pain inside his head was back.  Life just wasn't fair.  On top of the bright light the room was extremely noisy, or rather noise filled.  Noises he had never heard filled the air making it difficult for him to sort any one sound from another.  He heard the rustling of clothes, loud sighs, and several other noises increase in tempo and pace.  Gohan could only assume that someone beside him was waking up from a deep sleep.

A few moments later a familiar voice rang loudly in his ears, "Gohan!  You're awake!"  Karreth said happily, "We were unsure if you were ever going to wake up after you collapsed.  You were ashen and grey, like a…"  She stopped as she saw pain written across Gohan's face.  "What's wrong?"  She asked in concern.

"Many things."  Gohan whispered.  It was barely audible to Karreth causing her to lean in closer. "My head hurts, the light is piercingly bright and your loud voice hurts my ears for starters."  He said miserably.

"But I'm not speaking loudly."  She replied, looks of confusion and hurt flittered across her face, "Is this better?"  She whispered.

Gohan nodded, "Yes, now you're speaking in a normal tone."

"Gohan…"  Karreth whispered, "I'm whispering… and there aren't any lights on in this room.  What little light there is comes from the sun…. through closed curtains."

Gohan didn't respond right away he merely frowned and contemplated what exactly was wrong with him.  Karreth quietly rose from her seat and walked towards the curtains to close the blinds.  When the blinds had been lowered the light in the room dimmed even further leaving just enough light for races with good night sight to see.  As Karreth returned to her seat she heard Gohan mumbled a quiet 'thank you.'

"You're welcome Gohan."  She whispered back. "You know I'll do anything for you."  She purred.

Now that he was able to open his eyes and take in his surroundings without the light hurting him the pain in his head had dimmed somewhat.  Gohan groaned mentally as he slowly sat up.  Karreth was quick to rise to his aid as she raised some pillows for him and gently held him to steady him.  This was what he didn't want; Gohan had no plans of staying in the past and he couldn't bring Karreth with him when he returned to his own timeline, especially considering the way in which he had arrived. "Yes, I know."  He whispered back.  There were just too many complications in getting involved with Karreth, even if he could force himself to love her.

Just then the door opened spilling in light from the hallway.  Gohan quickly closed his eyes and stifled a cry a pain.  If the light when he had awoke hurt, the light spilling in from the door was liquid agony.  Karreth stood up and whirled around to yell at the people who had opened the door but remembered at the last instant that loud noises would cause her love pain and settled on just glaring.

Thankfully the door wasn't opened for long and soon the room was covered in the soothing darkness that was suitable for Gohan's eyes.  When he opened them to look at the new arrivals his mouth dropped open.  There were two additional people in the room along with him and Karreth.  One he recognized as his grandfather Bardock, but it was the other that truly surprised him.  It just didn't make any sense to Gohan.

"Hey Gohan."  The figure said quietly. He was already aware of Gohan's heightened senses. "You're looking surprisingly well, all things considered."

Gohan just gapped at the person, barely able to splutter out one word, "K-k-kibit-toshin?"

"In the flesh." He said with a smile.  There stood Kibitoshin in all his glory wearing his usual clothing and fusion earrings.

"B-But how…"  Gohan gasped out. "You, the supreme kai, shouldn't have fused with you assistant for another 50 years!"  He exclaimed and immediately winced at the sound of his own voice.

Kibitoshin shook his head sadly, "Gohan… Do you really think that people as powerful as yourself who force open rifts in time and space by just raising your power level would be forced to flow through the stream of time?"  The supreme Kaio whispered, utterly confusing the young saiyan. "No, you didn't flow back through time, time flowed around you.  When he pulled you through the rift he left you there.  With you out of the way time was able to correct itself and become as it should have been."

Gohan looked at the supreme Kaio; this wasn't making any sense to him.  Maybe it was due to his head still feeling foggy and the dull pain that resided within it but he had a feeling that he would have been confused regardless.  Gohan looked over at Karreth and saw the same confusion that was showing in his eyes displayed in her own.  This made him feel slightly better.  No matter how confused he became Karreth must be far worse off.

Bardock laid a hand on Kibitoshin's shoulder and the supreme Kaio bowed slightly before he backed away a few steps.  Bardock walked forward and kneeled beside the bed. "Gohan, I will explain it.  The supreme Kaio has a habit of explaining things as complicated as possible.  It is a fault he has had since he took his position."  Bardock said softly.

"Gohan… what's going on?"  Karreth finally managed to whisper.  Saying she was confused was an understatement and there was more then a little fear mingled in with the confusion, not that she would ever admit it.

"I'm… not quite sure."  He replied. "I thought I knew a little bit but now I'm not so sure." Gohan returned his attention to Bardock.  Suddenly something hit him causing him to narrow his eyes and frown. "You're not my… ah… Bardock are you?"

Bardock smiled, "Do not worry Gohan.  I am Bardock, your grandfather, to a certain extent.  Sometimes he is in control, sometimes I am.  I take control when something needs to be explained or accomplished that is beyond the capabilities of both mortals and Kaio's."

"Then who…"

"That will be explained in good time.  There is no need to confuse you with details you do not need."

"Then what is it that you need to say that no one else can?"  Gohan asked.

"I will explain what Kibitoshin could not, using simpler terms of course.  When I pulled you from your time I left you adrift in the time stream.  You acted exactly as you were supposed to.  Your power was sufficient enough to stabilize the Kaio-Sphere, or in your terms 'other world'.  You became the anchor that allowed that sphere of reality remain stable while the while the timelines of your universe merged back together to create one, singular unbroken time that corresponded with the others.  Now I suppose that is the part which confuses you.  I will say this; your reality, the one I pulled you from, should have never existed.  You were born to the wrong people in the wrong timeline.  How this happened I do not know but you turned out adequate in the end regardless."  Bardock said.

Gohan's eyes were wide as he stared at Bardock in surprise.  A few things were beginning to fall into place but there were still many unanswered questions.  Suddenly he panicked as a thought occurred to him, "What about my mother and father?"  He asked quickly, "My little brother Goten?  Videl?"

Bardock shook his head sadly, "Your father and mother exist, they will fall in love and marry, but you will not be born to them, and neither will Goten.  Goten came about as a result of a super saiyan mating with a human.  Since your father will never have the chance of becoming a super saiyan due to you killing Frieza Goten will never be born.  They will have children, but they will be normal children with the power befitting the mating of a third class and a human. This means that they will never become more powerful then Raditz was when you fought him.

Gohan looked down at his lap; he could feel tears building up in his eyes.  He was never going to see his little brother again.  Gohan looked up again, "What about Videl and Trunks and…"

Bardock shook his head, "Trunks came about as a mating of Vegeta with the human known as Bulma, you know that as well as I.  With this planet still here he will never go to Earth, and even if he did he would not even consider looking at a human female while there are still saiyan ones for him to choose from."  He said softly, "As for Videl."  He stopped and looked directly at Karreth, "You already know the answer to that question."

Karreth glared at Bardock, "Hey!  I'm not Videl!  I'm Karreth, the saiyan princess, your ruler Bardock; it would be well if you remembered that!"

Gohan sighed; a few unnoticed tears trickled down his face, "That's not what he meant Karreth."  Gohan said softly, drawing her attention away from Bardock and back to himself. "I suspected it from the moment I saw you, or rather the second time I saw you.  The first was to brief but… you aren't Videl… you're her mother."

Karreth glared at him, "What!  I am not!  I'll hope you know I'm still…"

Gohan shook his head violently, "Didn't you hear what he said earlier… I'm not from this timeline, or this time.  I'm not supposed to exist for another 30 years but I do, because Bardock… or rather the person currently residing inside him, brought me to this time."  Gohan let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry for keeping this hidden from you but… that personal record that was displayed in the dining hall was a fake, something created to help me integrate better into this society.  Although I still do not know how it was created."  Gohan said as he looked at Bardock, "Or why you decided to reveal the truth so soon after creating the lie…"

Bardock grimaced, "I will just leave it at this.  Something happened three days ago that was not supposed to occur.  It is linked to your senses being heightened several fold."  Bardock stood and stepped back from the bed. "Another reason is that Karreth, being who she is and because of her position, needs to know.  I suggest you keep the façade up around everyone else, but like most things it is entirely up to you.  Get some rest, in a few days you should become accustomed to your newly heightened senses and be able to function normally once more."  Bardock said as he turned to leave.  As his had touched the door knob he turned around and smiled at Gohan, "If not, you will be useless to me and I will just create another."  He said before he opened the door and was gone.

Kibitoshin was quick to close the door to spare Gohan as much agony as possible.  He turned to him and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry Gohan; it's not as if I had much choice.  One must always obey their superiors." he said, "Don't let his last few words get to you.  He doesn't have the time or luxury to create anyone else to fill the role you currently do.  You're all he has to fix this universe.  I hope you are better soon Gohan.  When next we meet…"  Kibitoshin shook his head, "Forget it.  Goodbye Gohan."  He said and disappeared.

Karreth turned to Gohan with a questioning look, "Gohan… care to explain what this is all about?"  She asked.

Gohan sighed, "I suppose you deserve to know the truth, or at least as much as I've figured out so far.  I think I should start with talking about my past…"

Gohan spent the next two hours revealing his history and explaining the situation as best as he could.  During that time food had been delivered and had been consumed by both saiyans.  Karreth listened attentively as Gohan listed off each adversary he had faced and details of different situations he had been in.  He left a bit out, mainly inconsequential things, but there were a few things he did not want Karreth to know about, mainly the dragon balls.  When he finished he fell silent and waited patiently for Karreth to respond.

After a few minutes Karreth spoke up, "That… explains a few things but…"  She fell silent. "What about this 'Videl'.  Why do you saw she's my daughter?"

Gohan looked up at the ceiling as he rubbed a hand through his head. "Because you look so much like her it's frightening.  On top of that you have similar voices, personalities and life forces.  There are discrepancies, enough to prove that you're separate people, but there are too many similarities for me to just ignore it.  The entity in Bardock only confirmed what I had earlier suspected."  Gohan sighed and looked down into his lap. "This is why it makes this next part hard.  I know you have feelings for me, they were quite obvious from the moment you saw my profile…  I turned your daughter down, or rather the woman that was going to be your daughter, and I would feel like I was betraying myself, and her even though she more then likely will never exist, if I mated with you.  There is also the problem that since you are so similar to your daughter that you two possess the same qualities that not only draw me to you, put push me away as well."  Gohan looked over at her with closed eyes and a sad smile on his face, "Which is why you should try to find someone else to mate with because I won't.  I still have yet to find the right woman." 

"If that's the way you wish it, then so be it Gohan."  She said in a cold tone.  Gohan opened his eyes and were greeted by a pair of cold ones.  All expression had left Karreth's face leaving it as smooth and cold as stone, "I know when I am not wanted, and there is no way I can force you to mate with me. I hope you never find that perfect woman and die a lonely, unhappy man."  She turned and left the room, slamming the door as she went. Gohan pitched forward and clutched his ears in pain.

When the pain subsided enough for the young saiyan to think coherently he leaned back in his bed and stared up at the ceiling.  "Did I make the right decision?"  Gohan said softly to himself.  He slowly raised his hand to the ceiling, "Why do I feel as if I'm drifting further and further away from everyone, and everything."

**_BECAUSE YOU ARE_**.  A voice boomed in Gohan's mind.  **_AND THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE YOU_**. And Gohan slept.

-

To be continued…

A/N: Wow… that was rather depressing… not depressing considering my usual standards but far more depressing then I wanted it to be.  It'll probably be one of the more depressing aspects of the story.

A/N: Krypto, you're smarter then the average readers aren't you? hehe  


	7. Chapter 6: The Fall of an Empire

**Chapter 6: The Fall of an Empire**

-

When Gohan awoke the next morning he found himself alone. Apparently Karreth hadn't forgiven him as of yet, either that or she had duties to attend to that kept her otherwise occupied Gohan propped himself up on his pillows and looked around the room again. Slowly he held a hand out and snapped one of his fingers. A loud noise echoed through the room but it caused little to no harm to Gohan's ears. He sighed in relief, _At least my senses are returning to normal. That would have knocked me out yesterday_.

Gohan slowly swung his legs about to dangle them over the edge of the bed before he gently eased his weight upon them. He smiled as he slowly stood up. Considering the condition he had found himself in just a day past he couldn't really blame himself for making sure he still had some strength. Those two tests out of the way Gohan walked to the curtained window and slowly drew them apart. Sunlight splashed into the room momentarily blinding Gohan but after a moment his eyes became adjusted to the light.

"Well, everything appears to be back to normal." Gohan said to himself as he opened the window to let in some fresh air. He suddenly grimaced as he thought back to yesterday's conversation. "Or rather as normal as it'll ever be."

Suddenly Gohan remembered something and looked down at himself. With a groan and a mental smack in the head in turned and headed back into the interior of the room. Standing in an open window in one's birthday suit is not really the smartest thing, especially when nearly every un-mated female in the planet would be lusting after him. Gohan walked over to the wardrobe and opened it to find nothing. With a frown he moved on to the dresser and opened the drawers there as well, to nothing. With a slight feeling of panic Gohan searched every nook and cranny in the room to find absolutely nothing that he could wear.

"This isn't good." He said to himself. "Who the hell ever thought it was a smart idea to take my clothes and not return them is going to get a beating." He muttered to himself.

All of a sudden there was a sound of the door knob turning. Gohan stared at the door in horror_, Not good, definitely not good!_ He thought to himself. The door quickly opened and closed as Karreth quickly entered the room with a package in her hands. When she turned multiple surprises awaited her. One, the bed was empty, two the windows curtains were drawn back and the window open, and three Gohan was sheepishly scratching his head as he slowly waved his other hand in the air while being completely naked.

Karreth's eyes went immediately to Gohan's crotch causing them to widen in surprise. Her eyes narrowed in speculation _Maybe I shouldn't give up on him_. She thought to herself as she fought down a blush, _someone with a body that great and a package that large is worth any amount of hassle, especially the package. I've seen grown saiyan's with smaller ones when they were fully erect and he's still limp_! She thought. (Haha... WELL... isnt that rather crude? Good for a laugh though, or a rather humorous snort in my case)

"Karreth?" Gohan said as he began to blush, "What are you doing?"

Karreth blinked for a moment before she raised her eyes to his face. "Just admiring the view." She said while at the same time trying to envision how large he would be fully erect.

"Heh…" Gohan attempted to laugh

"I see that you're feeling better." She said.

"Ah, well, yes but… Karreth. Um…" He broke off and shook his head, "Yes, I am feeling much better, would be feeling even better if I had some clothes." He said with a silly grin although there was a hint of steel within his voice. "I don't suppose you would happen to know where they might have wandered off to?"

Karreth looked down at the package in her arms. "Well, they're right here. We took them to be cleaned, and then they were never brought to your room while you were sleeping because they weren't needed and when they were I well…" She looked back at his face, but not without taking another glance first. "Anyways here are your clothes. I'll leave them room and let you change…"

Gohan sighed, "Alright." He said as he approached Karreth. "Although I doubt it really matters anymore considering you've already gotten a good look at me." He grumbled.

Karreth smiled seductively in response. Gohan took the clothes and headed towards the bed. Karreth took the time to turn and swiftly leave the room. She was glad to be out of the room. Although she had enjoyed the sight if she had stayed any longer she might have done something she would have regretted, or at least that's what she kept telling herself. Out in the hallway Karreth smiled again as she thought about him.

"Damn! He's bigger than he was in my dream!"

Gohan blushed as he dressed. Loud noises no longer hurt his ears but his enhanced hearing was still there as he found discovered by easily making out what Karreth said through the closed door. _I thought I may have gotten rid of her, stopped her from chasing me but then she had to go pull a stunt like that and walk in on me naked._ Gohan grumbled in his mind,_ Now the only way to get her off my back is to mate with someone else… _He thought about her for a moment, especially her curves._ But maybe I could, well… taste her, just a little… ACK! NO! Ok, put clothes on, put clothes on… _Gohan repeated over in over in his mind as he quickly dressed.

When he was finally dressed he looked himself in the mirror If anything they had taken good care of his clothing. There was only one last thing he had to do before he was prepared to face the day. Gohan concentrated on himself, _Ok you stupid hormones, Get prepared for the ass kicking of your life!_

Karreth jumped away from the door, twisted in the air and crouched in a fighting position across the hall. There were unusual noises coming from behind the door and it did not sound like someone was getting dressed. Suddenly there was a loud snarl and a crash and the sounds of furniture breaking. Suddenly a sound of pleasure followed by another shout of pain echoed through the door and that was enough for Karreth. She suddenly turned and walked down the hall leaving Gohan alone to do, well, whatever it was he was doing.

-

* * *

-

An hour later…

Gohan exits his room, looking slightly worse for wear then he had been. "Stupid hormones." He muttered to himself as he turned to walk down the hallway. He hadn't a clue where he was going but anywhere was better then the room he just left. "Bastards fought back damn hard." He looked over his shoulder taking one last glance into the devastated bedroom. "I think the bedroom got the worst out of that fight."

Gohan was about to walk off when he felt a familiar presence draw close. He stopped and leaned against the wall just opposite his bedroom door as he waited for his grandfather to arrive. He wasn't kept waiting long as a few minutes later Bardock arrived. Gohan frowned as he noticed the pensive look on his elders face.

"Grandfather? What's wrong?" Gohan asked.

Bardock looked up at Gohan and smiled, "Ah, it's nothing Gohan. I am just a little annoyed. I've been getting many weird looks these days and I have holes in my memory large enough to drive a star ship through." He grumbled.

Gohan blinked for a moment, "I'm sure you'll figure out what's going on soon enough. Anyways, I was about to go off to train but, I kind of don't know how to get out of the palace." Gohan said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Hmph." Bardock grumped, "It's not that hard, here follow me." He said as he turned and headed back the way he came.

Gohan fell in step beside him and the two walked silently through the bare corridors. The corridors seemed virtually empty but Gohan knew otherwise. They just twisted and turned so often that one rarely saw another person, at least that was true while traversing the side hallways; the main passageways were generally filled. As Bardock and Gohan turned into one of the main hallways signs of life began to show as Gohan had predicted. Other saiyan and alien officials could be seen traversing the hallways.

"What kind of training will you hope to accomplish?" Bardock asked suddenly. The two had been travelling in silence since they left Gohan's room.

"I'm going to see how much of my power has returned, and use that to determine how long it will be until I am back to full strength." Gohan said with a shrug, "Then I'll just meditate."

Bardock glanced at him, "Meditate? Why ever would you want to meditate?"

Gohan smirked, "Oh there's plenty of reason. But only one is really required. Meditate and your mental control increases, if your mental control increases you're able to manipulate your life force more efficiently, and if…"

"You're able to manipulate you life force better you will be able to fight better, longer, and with increased effectiveness." Bardock finished as he looked straight ahead, deep in thought.

"I see where I got my brains from." Gohan said with a laugh, "The genes must have skipped a generation."

Bardock shook his head sadly, "So Kakkarot amounts to nothing in the future…" Bardock said sadly.

Gohan smiled, "No, he amounts to quite a bit. He may be slow when it comes to life and everything else but, when it deals with fighting…" Gohan paused, "Well, let's just say he surpasses even me and Vegeta."

A couple people stopped to give Gohan an odd look before they walked on. Bardock just smirked, "So he becomes a great fighter."

Gohan nods, "Yes, but a crappy father. I don't blame him for doing the things he did, it's just the way he is, a part of who he is. I learned to live with it in the past. Now I don't have to as I will never see him again, or at least never as a father."

Bardock eyed him curiously.

"What?" Gohan asked, "It's a little hard to look up to someone as a father when you're older then he is."

Bardock simply nodded. Suddenly the noise of the city filtered to their ears and a few moments later they exited the palace to arrive at a platform overlooking the city.

"Well, we're outside now, where do you plan on training?" Bardock asked.

Gohan shrugged, "I'll find someplace." He replied. Gohan took a step forward and was about to fly off when a thought occurred to him. He turned around and glanced at his grandfather, "I have a question for you, why were you headed towards my room?"

"That's none of your business." Bardock said as he quickly turned and went back inside.

Gohan blinked several times in surprise, "I wonder what went and bit him in the ass." He said aloud.

Gohan turned back to look out into the city. The sun was just beginning to dip in the sky showing that it was a little after noon. Gohan smiled at this, he still had plenty of time to train by himself. With a slight exertion of his power Gohan lifted off the platform and shot off into the sky. He twisted and turned slightly in the air and began to head north, not really having any place better to go.

Gohan was soon out of the city and flying across the desert just north of the city. A desert, however natural and pleasant it might be to some, was definitely not the kind of place Gohan wanted to be when he began to meditate. Not only was it uncomfortably hot and dusty, he ran a high risk of coming to only to find a sand dune had walked up and sat on top of him. Although it wouldn't really hurt him, it was more the trying to pick sand out of places sand should not be in that annoyed him.

After an hour of flying Gohan started to become annoyed, he had been flying, quite fast he might add, and there was still no sight of the edge of the desert. Realizing heading north would not do him much good he flew further upwards. As he entered the stratosphere he erected a barrier around him to keep the cold out as he stopped and surveyed the planet once more. As he figured the desert stretched all the way to the North Pole and who knows how far beyond. Gohan turned and gazed back south. Far in the distance he could make out the capital city where he had left, and what annoyed him more then a little was that, no more then a few miles east and southeast of the city large stretches of greenery could be seen.

"Of all the…" Gohan trailed off. "If I have time to complain, I have time to fly." He said to himself as he quickly descended through the atmosphere once more, only this time heading east south east.

After yet another hour of flying Gohan began to near the greenery that he had seen when he was in the stratosphere. To his happiness it was a forest, although a little sparse compared to what he was used to back home it was still far better then the huge deserts that covered the majority of Planet Vegeta. With a smile on his face Gohan prepared to slow down and search for a suitable place to train.

Or rather that was what he would have done if fate hadn't decided to kick him in the balls yet again.

Just as Gohan reached the savannah that served as a boundary for both the desert and the forest he felt a chilling presences approach the planet. What sucked the most about it was that this presence was familiar to Gohan, one that he hadn't felt since Mirai Trunks had come back in time.

"You have got to be shitting me!" Gohan cursed as he looked up towards the life force he had sensed. "King Cold?" Gohan said to himself, "Of all the…" Gohan trailed off for a moment. "This always happens to me, just as I kill one evil super being ANOTHER decides to come jumping into my face. If I didn't know better I'd swear they were all part cockroach." Gohan muttered to himself, thoroughly annoyed at this development. "I wonder just HOW many evil super beings are going to have to get beaten, dismembered, maimed and otherwise brutally killed before they learn that they will never beat me!" Gohan growled as he altered his course for the third time that day.

Gohan resolved to kill King Cold as fast as possible. Here he was ready for a little relaxation away from everyone while doing a little meditation and now King Cold decides to show. And what was worse was that King Cold couldn't detect power levels without the use of a scouter, which was useless as it didn't give any indication as to who's power level they were reading. So not only did he have to waste his day killing the idiot, he had to go and greet him as well because who knew how many saiyans King Cold would kill before he went out to search for him.

Cold's star ship appeared to be headed towards the capital, much to Gohan's relief as it meant he wouldn't have to fly far. That relief however was short lived as the hundreds of warriors began to pour out of the ship and down towards the city.

Gohan growled in anger as several buildings exploded, sending large chunks of building materials in all directions. With his enhanced sight and hearing he could see and hear all of the destruction, even while he was many miles away. With a massive burst of speed Gohan covered the last bit of ground between him and the city in an instant, shooting over the capital like a rocket. He didn't waste any time as he shot towards the star ship that had just stopped to hover over the palace.

"So you fucking pieces of shit think you can just attack my people and get away with it?" Gohan spat out. His anger manifested itself in more then just words, hundred of weak energy blasts shot out from his aura and headed in all directions. Or rather one could say they were weak for Gohan. The soldiers of Cold that were hit by the blasts didn't know what hit them. They either exploded into a pile of giblets or were so badly burned and mangled from the attacks that they would be dead with a few seconds regardless. The sky literally rained blood as Gohan shot towards the palace as the broken, bloody remains of hundreds of soldiers fell from the sky and painted the city red.

Gohan and the star ship reached the palace at the same time, although the ship wasn't there for long. Gohan didn't slow down as he neared it, in fact he sped up and slammed into, through and out the other side of the ship before he decided to stop and turn around. The ship violently shook for a moment before gouts of fire exploded from the two gapping holes in the sides of the ship. Cracks spread from the holes before the ship detonated, the explosion set shrapnel far enough to be found miles away as what was left of the smoking, ruined ship slammed into the top of the palace.

"Oops." Gohan said as he scratched his head sheepishly. He hadn't considered the possibility of the ship crashing into the palace after he destroyed it. "I hope not too many people were hurt."

A harsh laugh brought Gohan out of his thoughts. He whipped his head around to the sound of the laugh only to see Cold floating up from the wrecked palace holding Karreth in a chokehold. The tyrant of the Cold Empire was already in his fourth evolutionary state, and he was much, much larger then Frieza. Where Frieza had barely topped five feet when he was in his fourth form, his father, King Cold, easily topped eight. Another difference between father and child was that instead of being white with purple plates, he was silver with blue. The change of colors either came with age or there was some other reason as to why Frieza was a different color.

"So, this is the mighty saiyan that killed my son, Frieza, I don't see what all the fuss is about." Cold said with a grin on his face, "Frieza was a weakling, spawn from a race of weaklings." Cold looked down at Karreth who was struggling to get out of his stranglehold. "But I shall rectify that. Now that I have my hands on a fine piece of work I'll be able to spawn a child worthy of continuing my reign."

"Ewww!" Karreth choked out as she looked pleadingly at Gohan, "Get… this big… tub of shit… off me…" She gasped out.

"Having a little trouble breathing, dear princess?" Cold said with a laugh. "Don't worry I…"

He was cut off as a fist slammed into his face and sent the tyrant for a trip that ended several hundred feet away. Said impact also caused him to lose his grip on the princess who fell several meters before she realized what had occurred and was able to halt her descent.

"…Won't be doing anything to her." Gohan spat out, finishing what Cold was going to say in his own way. "I refuse to let you, or anyone from your god damned race, hurt anyone else." Gohan glared at the tyrant.

Cold glared at Gohan. If looks could kill, this would have destroyed planets. "I don't take orders from anyone. I am King Cold, supreme ruler of the Cold Empire. And I TAKE what I want, and no one, especially not a pathetic saiyan, will stop me!" He growled out.

Gohan tilted his head back and grinned evilly, "Well then, today just won't be your day then, will it? Because I don't only intend on only preventing you from taking what you want, but I also intend to take your life as well!" Gohan said.

By this time Cold had calmed down. He knew he wasn't dealing with an ordinary saiyan. No, he was dealing with a saiyan that had been trained by the very Kaio's themselves. Even if he was just a saiyan, the skills and training he went through would put him on par with the super saiyan of legend his ancestors had trouble killing. He was, of course, much stronger then his ancestors but that was beside the point. If he was going to kill this saiyan he would need to be calm and collected, using not only his power, but his experience and knowledge to get him through this battle.

With that sorted out Cold carefully studied the young saiyan floating before him. If the saiyan knew the techniques of the Kaio's then any attempt he made to grab the princess would come to nought. If he wanted her, he needed to beat the saiyan first. There was no killing him, such a source of knowledge was only begging to be tapped, and Cold planned on draining that well of knowledge dry.

While Cold was studying Gohan, said saiyan was also studying him. Gohan noticed that Frieza's father was far more muscular and powerful then his son, far more powerful. Gohan also figured that since Cold was older then he had been through much more, giving a greater amount of experience then Gohan himself had. Gohan may have faced more powerful creatures, creatures that could destroy galaxies with a twist of their arm, but when it came to sheer experience and battle count, Cold had far, far more. This meant several things to Gohan. One, that Cold wouldn't be as easily lost to his emotions as to create openings for him to exploit. Two, that he probably had an arsenal of techniques and abilities that Gohan could only begin to guess at. And three, his natural instinct in combat may very well rival or surpass his own.

Gohan smirked at the tyrant, "What's wrong Cold? Out of taunts?"

Cold smiled, "No, little saiyan, I simply don't think you're worth the time. I'll just defeat you and make you my personal slave." He replied.

Gohan grinned as he fell into his battle stance, "Well then." He said in a deeper tone than usual, "Let's get this party started. I'm sure Karreth wouldn't mind having your stuffed head mounted in her throne room."

Karreth smiled happily at this, "Why thank you Gohan! What a kingly gift!" She said excitedly.

A twitch appeared over Cold's left eye as he heard the exchange. It wasn't really what they were saying that was annoying him; it was the fact that he was being ignored. "If you two are done, I'd like to get this over with. I have brains to pick, and saiyans to fuck." Cold said in a slightly annoyed tone.

Gohan laughed at that and eyed Cold, "Well, since you put it so elegantly why not." He said.

With a glass shattering shout Gohan powered up as fast as he could, knowing Cold wouldn't give him enough time otherwise. A white aura erupted around him and the air began to circle him in a cyclonic fashion. Karreth, who was floating a little to close to Gohan, was knocked away by the hurricane force winds that wrapped themselves around the young saiyan. Through the power-up Cold just floated there, arms folded across his chest, eyeing Gohan with mock curiosity. He was confident in his power, knowing that nothing Gohan could do could harm him.

After several moments the wind calmed down again and the aura faded away. When Gohan realized just how much stronger he had become he smirked at Cold, "Well, isn't this interesting." Gohan said with a laugh. "It appears as if I am stronger then my father when he first became a super saiyan."

Cold's eye twitched again, "For some reason I highly doubt that little saiyan." Cold said in a calm tone, "For one, if your father was a super saiyan I would have known about it, and two it's impossible for a normal saiyan to even come close to matching that of a super saiyan."

Gohan laughed again, "You're right about the normal saiyan part, but then, I've never been a normal saiyan!" Gohan shouted.

An instant later a shockwave cracked through the air as Gohan threw a punch at King Cold, only to have it blocked by a hand. Cold frowned slightly as he felt the force behind the punch, it was indeed far beyond anything Frieza had managed to do when he had trained him, but it was nothing he could not handle. Gohan yanked his hand out from the grasp of the tyrant and threw a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were blocked by Cold.

Cold lashed out with his tail, attempting to get in a surprise hit but Gohan would have none of that. The young saiyan bent over backwards, allowing the tail to pass by him by mere inches before he lashed out and slammed both his feet into Cold's chin. Even catching the tyrant off guard meant nothing. Cold merely smirked at Gohan before batting him away like an insect. Cold's power in his fourth evolutionary state was such that even surprise attacks did very little to phase him.

Faster then Gohan expected, Cold slammed a fist into Gohan's face before he spun around and smashed his tail into the saiyan. Gohan tumbled backwards through the sky until Karreth caught him, stopping his unexpected flight.

"Thanks." Gohan said, rubbing his chest where the tail had hit him. The front of his shirt had been torn open by the blow. Gohan had to be careful; it appeared as if Cold was only toying with him at the moment.

"No problem." She said, with a smile on her face.

"PAY ATTENTION!" Cold yelled as he slammed both his feet into Gohan, taking advantage of the distracted saiyans.

Gohan was fortunate that he had seen the attack at the last moment and had been able to erect some sort of defence but Karreth had no such luck. The force of the blow,although greatly lessened due to Gohan's body, was still strong enough to shatter several ribs in her body and send her careening through the air with a scream of agony. Gohan watched her tumble away and anger gripped him. He turned back to the tyrant who was throwing another punch, hoping to catch Gohan off-guard again but no such luck.

With a scream of rage Gohan dodged around the fist and slammed his own into Cold's chin which was soon followed by a large kiai which rocked Cold back several feet. "NO MORE GAMES!" Gohan roared, "**KAIO-KEN TIMES FIVE!**" And Gohan's power sky rocketed. A red aura erupted from around Gohan an instant before he shot forward like a rocket. He broke several sound barriers before he reach Cold. A knee in the gut caused several not so good cracks to be heard as Cold hunched over to gag. Spit and blood flew from his face as Gohan retracted his knee and delivered a hammer blow to the back of Cold's neck sending the tyrant flying into the ground with earth shattering force.

The city below where Cold had crashed into glowed eerily for a moment before a huge energy beam sprang into being, lashing out at Gohan. The saiyan barely had time to dodge to the side, watch as the blast shot out into space. Gohan brought his gaze back down to the city and growled in anger once more. A large section of the city, the section where the blast had originated from, no longer existed. Everyone, and everything, had been atomized by the backlash caused by the energy weapon.

"COLD!" Gohan roared out in anger and prepared to dive down, only to get a backhand to the face. Gohan's cheek busted open as the saiyan's course was violently readjusted.

"You really should pay more attention to your surroundings, little saiyan." Cold said. His face had grown deadly serious, play time was over. "I underestimated your power, I won't do so again."

Gohan didn't respond with words, rather with his fists. Shockwaves rippled out from every attack as the two super powers battled over the capital city. Every time one of Gohan's fists slammed home or a kick connected, Cold was able to return a blow with equal, if not more, force. Whenever one blocked, the other dodged, it was a fight with no clear victor, or at least that's what it would appear to those who couldn't sense ki.

Gohan knew he was in trouble; he couldn't keep this up for long, one the longer he stayed in his super charged state the more damage his body would take and another was that while Cold was getting weaker, he was growing weaker far faster. With a growl he floated back a few feet to give himself some space. Gohan brought his hands up to his closed eyes and shouted, "**SOLAR FLARE!**" Blinding white light filled the air and blinded everyone. Cold growled in annoyance and pain as he clutched his eyes in pain.

Then the words dreaded by nearly every super villain that faced the Son family echoed through the air.

"**KAME**…" Gohan began as he thrust his hands forward and cupped them together at the palms before he brought them down to his side. Pure, blue Ki began to ripple around him as it left his body and began to spiral towards the cupped hands.

"**HA…" **A ball of blue energy sprung into existence between the cusped hands, a ball that expanded and contracted as more ad more power was poured into the attack. A frightening loud crackling noise began to echo through the sky, scaring Cold more then just a little. Being blind he could see nothing, but he could literally feel a huge amount of power being gathered into a ridiculously small gathering point. He didn't need to be able to sense ki to know that this attack would hurt a lot if he didn't do something quick.

**"ME**…" The ball of energy gathered between Gohan's hands grew almost too large to contain within, having loss the ability to condense it anymore then it already was. Everything was bathed in a blue light as the ball of energy gathered the last of its energy.

Cold, in desperation, fired a large energy blast at the sound, and source, of the energy hoping to disrupt it in any form, hoping to buy him at least a little time. It was all for nothing.

"**_HA!!_**" Gohan roared as he thrust his hands directly at Cold and let loose with everything he had. The energy blast Cold had lash out with was out classed in every shape and form as the energy wave slammed into it, and ate it like it was nothing more then a piece meal, before continuing on it's way, no less powerful then it had been in the beginning.

Cold's eyes had recovered just enough by this time, just enough to witness the energy wave before it slammed into him with enough force to rip through multiple planets. There was a long, agonizing scream as Cold felt his very being tear apart. He didn't even bother to try and stop the beam; he was more occupied with trying to stay alive then with diverting the blast.

Gohan kept up the huge stream of energy for half a minute before he finally stopped and let his arms drop to his sides. The energy wave had carried Cold far out into space before it suddenly detonated into a huge explosion. Gohan was exhausted as he dropped out of his Kaio-ken state. If Cold had survived that blast he knew he wouldn't be much of a resistance as that blast had reduced him down to the level he had been at prior to fighting Frieza, a level that would get him no where except a trip to the Otherworld.

Gohan closed his eyes and breathed in deeply as he calmed himself, letting the bloodlust drain from his system. He opened up his mind and felt for Cold's life force, hoping that the tyrant was dead once and for all. After several moments he breathed out a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes and a smile graced his face. He couldn't sense the tyrant anywhere, he was dead, and the fight was over. As Gohan turned to go check on Karreth he couldn't help but feel that the fight was… somewhat duller then it should have been. Where was all that experience and technique he was supposed to have? All he had shown was superior tactics, but no experience or technique.

"Maybe I'm just missing some…" Gohan was cut off as a pair of feet slammed into the small of his back causing the saiyan to tumble forward. Gohan quickly halted his fall and turned around only to stare at something that should not be possible.

"Something the matter?" Cold hissed out from a broken and mangled jaw. Cold was back, yet he wasn't. Gohan tried to sense the others life force, and found nothing. Cold was dead, yet he was still floating there, supported by life force he did not have.

"H-How!?" Gohan gasped out in surprise, "You're supposed to be dead! You ARE dead!" Gohan exclaimed in surprise.

Cold grinned maliciously, "You do not have to worry sssaiyan, as you ssshall live much longer." Cold replied with a voice suddenly super-imposed on his own.

Gohan looked Cold over more thoroughly. All his limbs were there, yet they were all broken and mangled. Bones jutted were even jutting out from various places in his limbs. His chest had been ripped open and his dead organs were clearly visible, no longer doing the tasks they were created for. The last bit of blood that still existed within the corpse of the tyrant was quickly draining away, showering the city below. Half the head had been stripped of everything, leaving a bone white skull behind while the other side was mangled beyond belief. But what caught Gohan's attention the most were the lines of green energy that had wrapped itself around every inch of Cold's body, inside and out.

Gohan backed up slowly, his eyes wide, "This definitely rates high on my weird-shit-o-meter." Gohan managed to finally say.

"Time to die sssaiyan." Cold hissed out before he shot forward.

Gohan didn't waste any time and shot forward as well. With Cold being dead he may still have a chance, if he could only disrupt whatever it was that kept the tyrant moving after he had already died. As they neared Gohan dodge a punch and lashed out with his own only to have it encounter a strange barrier of green energy. Suddenly there was a massive flash of light and both Cold and Gohan were knocked violently away from each other.

"What the hell was that?" Gohan asked but got no reply as Cold just glared at him.

Cold once again blasted towards him but Gohan had something else in mind, it just came to him. He brought a hand to each side and gathered energy for his attack. "**RENZOKU ENERGY DAN!**" Gohan shouted as he quickly threw energy blast after energy blast at the on coming tyrant. At first nothing appeared to happened, Cold just shrugged off the attacks like they were nothing but suddenly he flinched as an attack hit his chest.

Gohan, began directing his attacks towards the center of the tyrants chest, hoping he had found a weak point, but once again Cold was able to shrug them off until a blast hit him in the face, causing another flinch, this one more violent then the previous. Again he redirected his attacks to Cold's face but nothing happened until two blasts, one that hit his arm, and one a leg, caused him to shout out and rock backwards a little. At this point Gohan was completely confused, as well as running low on energy, so he just focused on getting as many of his blasts to hit as possible, not caring about which area they hit.

Fortunately it worked; soon nearly every blast was causing the tyrant to shout out, and with each hit more and more of the green energy began to dissipate. Whether he was shouting because of pain or something else, as it's hard to believe a dead person can feel pain, Gohan didn't know, and he didn't really care.

"Would you just fucking die already?!" Gohan yelled, getting extremely annoyed at the tyrant's resilience. Whether it was his words that did something or just happenstance, Cold's body suddenly exploded into a shower of blood and gore. A loud scream of anger echoed through the air before it too, was gone.

"Finally, he died!" Gohan said with relief evident in his voice, "Hopefully for good. If he starts gluing himself back together like Majin Buu and Cell I'm going to be extremely fucking pissed." He said to no one in particular, but thankfully Cold was much like his son in that aspect, no super regenerative techniques that would make him virtually impossible to kill.

Suddenly he remembered something, "Uh-oh, I hope Karreth is alright." He said as he went off to look for her, "And I hope she doesn't mind that I… err… blew up Cold's head instead of mounting it on her wall."

To be continued…

-

A/N: There, Chapter 6 is done, and you only had to wait several months for it. The reason, simple, I lost motivation to write. And I got hooked on Naruto. But, I do plan on finishing this story some time in the future, just when… well… I'm not exactly sure.

A/N: In case you were wondering, Cold's power level in the show was 13,000,000 when he was in his second form. To calculate his power level in his fourth form I took the ratio between Frieza's second and his ultimate fourth, which happened to be 12:1 ratio. So 12 x 13,000,000 = 156,000,000. That's Cold's power level in this chapter. If you're wondering why Gohan didn't just go to kaio-ken x 20, well, despite being enraged he knew drawing on too much kaio-ken would cause his body to explode, similar to if he was to do it while being a super saiyan. He had to be careful and only draw out what was needed because the risk of drawing too much was simply too great. Once again, ignore anything that happened in GT as I hate GT and nothing that happens in that show has any baring here.

A/N: Sorry about the short fight scenes but I'd rather get these ones over with. This is pretty much just redundant stuff that's been done over and over in so many stories it's ridiculous, once I get to the other universes I should have longer fight scenes, and ones that involve more then just a slug fest between 2 people.

A/N: Ok, FanFiction just got a whole lot gayer. What's up with not being able to put in a divider unless it's THEIR divider?! God damn assholes, oh well, I guess I'll just have to use the full line across the screen to show change of time/position. Takes away from the look and feel but... what can I do? I ALSO hate how they refuse to let me leave blank lines, so anywhere you see just a -, it's supposed to be blank.


	8. Chapter 7: Tying up Loose Ends

Plus I'd like to thank SSJChibiGoten for proofreading my last chapter and this one as well.

Response to Limar's review:  
I'm not sure if Goku did use super kaio-ken while in a super saiyan state but I'll probably find out soon as I am downloading the last like 15 episodes of DBZ as I write this. Anyways if Goku did use the kaio-ken while in super saiyan form... I'll just disregard it as it'll contradict what's in my story already. I'll just pin it all on this story being an AU. Or I'll find some way of fitting it in, who knows.

Response to several reviews about Karreth:  
Alright, everyone wants Karreth and Gohan to be together right? Well all I'll say is that I've already picked out who he'll be with and you'll just have to wait and see! There's going to be 4 females in total that he'll meet (4 main ones I mean), all 4 of them will want him in the beginning, and he'll want them, to some degree or another, until near the end. Each girl will get someone, but who that someone is... well you'll have to wait... Oh man... just writing that SO many new ideas popped up! WOOHOO!!! HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

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**Chapter 7: Tying up Loose Ends**

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Gohan was standing outside the rejuvenation chambers where Karreth, and other high female officials that had been hurt during the collapse of part of the palace, were located. He, being male, wasn't allowed in there as one was put into the chambers completely naked, not that he would have wanted to go in regardless. Having a bunch of females wanting to skin him alive and use his hide as a rug was not something he wished to endure. The only thing he was thankful of was that none of them knew of the ultimate saiyan killer, the frying pan. There was also the etiquette and manners his mother had literally beaten into him and his little brother.

Gohan sighed as he thought of his little brother, the one person he missed more then anyone else with perhaps the exception of Videl, and now he'd never get a chance to meet him. He was born because of a mistake, much like himself; only unlike him Goten wasn't allowed to exist after the universe sorted itself out.

Gohan let his head fall forward a little as he thought of the aftermath of the battle. He had initially thought he had destroyed the entire palace but luckily for him it was built to withstand that kind of impact. At first Gohan had thought the odd flow of the hallways was born from some twisted architects mind but he knew better now. The odd design to the palace helped reinforce the structure making it virtually impossible for more then one or two floors to be crushed unless there was some sort of titanic pressure or weight pressed upon it. The only way to completely destroy the palace was to let off a massive explosion in the bottommost levels or to drop a moon on it. Anything short of that wouldn't do any major damage to it. The twisted passages of each floor was created in such a way that they each supported one another and made it possible for each floor alone to support the entire dead weight of two or three others.

Then there was the city. Cold had destroyed a fair section of the city, killing everyone there as he literally vaporized everything within a two hundred meter radius of him. It was going to take a while to repair it but already there were many people putting in bids for portions of the destroyed section and drawing up design plans for the buildings that would be put there. Gohan shook his head in amusement, amusement that was laced with sadness. It almost appeared as if these saiyans were incapable of feeling sorrow when one of their own was killed, at least as long as they were not related to that person in any way. Then as he thought more about it he realized the humans he had spent the greater portion of his life with were the same, if not worse. They would seem indifferent as to whether one person was killed or not, as long as they were not related or that person didn't owe them something. As Gohan thought on it more, he began to realize that the more technological a race became the more uncaring it also became. The only people he knew that were kind to their own were those that lacked any major technological capabilities.

And finally Karreth, on his way to find her Bardock had intercepted him and revealed that she had already been rescued and taken to the palace to heal in the rejuvenation chambers. This alleviated his worry that she had died. Despite everything he really didn't want to see her dead, he needed to use her, as much as he despised using people. Sometimes one must do what they hate in order to accomplish what they must. And thus that is how he found himself waiting outside her rejuvenation chamber. When he had knocked on the door a female medical officer had told him that she would be healed within an hour's time. Her injuries weren't serious, but would have been if she hadn't been brought in as quickly as she had.

He looked up as he sensed a very familiar presence approach him from around the twisted corridor. Bardock, who was standing across the hall from him, noticed the movement and followed his gaze. A few moments later a familiar sight came into Gohan's view. The highly accented widow's peak with almost vertical spiky black hair announced to everyone who the person was more than anything else. It was none other then the child version of the Vegeta Gohan knew from the future with of course another familiar person towering over him. Gohan could never forget Nappa, the first person he had ever truly fought against, the first of many to beat him into the ground before his father saved his ass. Nappa was wearing the usual saiyan elite battle armor with his family insignia engraved over the left chest plate. One startling difference about him was that he actually had a set of hair on his head. He apparently hadn't gone completely bald just yet. Vegeta on the other hand wore the royal battle armor with the flowing red cape and royal insignia engraved upon both the cloak and the armor. There weren't many differences between this one and the elder Vegeta, aside from the hair being slightly spikier and the body more bulky in the older version.

Vegeta glanced at the two of them before passing them off as nothing as he strolled calmly to the door Gohan was standing beside. Just as Vegeta was about to open it Gohan reached out and caught his arm, his face set into a frown and his eyes steady on Vegeta's. Vegeta turned his head around to regard Gohan fully for the first time.

"Let go of the prince!" Nappa yelled as he lashed out at Gohan.

There was a loud crack as the fist hit. Unfortunately for Nappa it wasn't Gohan's head that cracked, it was his own fist. Nappa stumbled back holding his now broken and bleeding hand as he stared at Gohan in surprise. Gohan hadn't even flinched, in fact he hadn't even registered the fact that he had just been punched, and this immediately drew Vegeta's full attention.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vegeta asked in a quiet, yet commanding tone. He was not used to people restricting him access anywhere. The only person that had done it before was Frieza, and if the result of Nappa's attack was anything to go from Gohan was at the very least on the same level and this fact alone made him tone down his response. "You are a saiyan like me, and that makes me your prince, and therefore you are mine to command. I demand you let go of me."

Gohan smirked, "Oh yes, I agree, you are the prince of saiyans, but you do not command me. No one commands me. Besides, you could be a little more courteous to someone who just toppled the Cold Empire." Gohan replied, the smirk still on his face.

Nappa's jaw dropped to the ground as his eyes bugged out in surprise. "B-But... that's not possible! You'd have to kill both Frieza and his father to do that! You'd have to be a super saiyan to even think of challenging them!" Nappa yelled out in disbelief. There was no way this saiyan could have taken out both Frieza and his father.

"Nappa, be quiet!" Vegeta snapped out, silencing any further comment Nappa may have had. "We came back from our assignment early because we were unable to report to Frieza. That is when we learned that he was dead. Someone killed him, and that someone is right here in front of us. When we arrived we heard that another battle had just taken place, and that Frieza's father was dead as well." Vegeta looked over Gohan once more, taking in everything, from the highly defined muscles to the way he held himself, from his look of complete confidence and the aura that Vegeta could almost feel. Gohan had to admit that Vegeta was far more wise and intelligent then his age would otherwise suggest. "No, this is the one that killed both Frieza and his father. The Cold Empire is destroyed and this saiyan is the reason for it, although I have no idea how he attained such power." Vegeta yanked his arm from Gohan's grasp, or rather Gohan let him sensing that Vegeta had become more interested in him then whoever he had come to see in that room.

"Just trying to protect you Vegeta." Gohan said, intentionally leaving off the prefix. "That is the woman's rejuvenation chambers. You wouldn't want a dozen screaming, angry women after you do you?"

"Hmph." Vegeta backed away from the door. "I also heard a rumor that I had a sister, a sister I didn't know even existed. I came to see her."

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Then sit down and wait. The medical doctor said she'd be out in an hour, and that was almost an hour ago, or is the prince of saiyans so childish that he must have everything how he wants, when he wants it?" Gohan asked in amusement.

"I am no child!" Vegeta growled as he stomped childishly across the hallway to wait for his sister to come out. Nappa settled beside him, trying to nurse his broken hand while at the same time trying to make it look as if it didn't hurt.

Bardock left his position, not thinking it wise to remain standing beside an irritated prince, to settle beside his grandson. He was there because his grandson had asked him to come along. He had no idea as to why, but he knew the reason was important. He had sent a messenger off to tell them to wait for them outside the palace, or until another messenger came to bring them inside.

Gohan moved to settle back in his original position, the one he had been in before he had sensed Vegeta arriving, but he had no more settled down when the door opened to reveal Karreth, the saiyan princess in all her glory. Gohan smirked at this, he knew she had been up and moving, she had started stirring at about the time Vegeta had arrived. Their little confrontation had alerted Karreth that her baby brother had returned, one of the reasons why Gohan had prevented Vegeta from entering the room, although it didn't really make the previous any less valid.

Karreth had apparently wanted to make a good first impression on her little brother. She walked out of the throne room wearing the royal saiyan battle armor and the cape, much like Vegeta's but it had been modified to account for her additions jutting from her chest. She was wearing the royal tiara, something he had never seen her in. The thing may look silly, but she had found a way to make it look just as regal as any crown, although Gohan figured that if it was anyone else but her it wouldn't have been possible. Her face had taken on a slightly haughty, yet regal expression. Her eyes were bright, shining like diamonds, and yet at the same time looking as dark and hard as onyx. All in all in created a commanding presence that dwarfed even Vegeta's own, and he noticed.

"Hello brother." Karreth said in a neutral voice, not sure how to begin, not knowing anything about Vegeta, aside from him being enslaved by Frieza.

Vegeta responded with a slight bow of his head, "Hello to you as well, sister." Vegeta said his voice just as neutral as Karreth's. He had grown up thinking that he would rule the Saiyan Empire one day, yet in the course of a week his father was killed, the killer killed, and his right to the thrown challenged by a sister he never knew he had. Yet he could not deny that she was indeed his sister, an older, more powerful one if rumors were to be believed, and with an aura of command that far exceeded his own.

"Welcome home, I take it the mission Frieza sent you on didn't give you to much trouble?" She asked, arching an eyebrow as she did. The veiled insult didn't go missed.

"No, it was easy, like all missions that lizard has given me." Vegeta said in a clipped tone. He nodded in Gohan's direction, "He was the one that killed Frieza and Cold." It was more a statement then a question.

Karreth looked over at Gohan and smiled; it was a smile that Vegeta did not like at all. Vegeta knew, through that smile alone, that Karreth wanted Gohan as her mate, and if she took him there would be very little he could do, if anything, to win the thrown. "Yes, he was, he's the most powerful saiyan in existence, a direct descendent of a super saiyan." She said with pride obvious in her voice.

Vegeta snorted, "Highly unlikely. Only those with royal blood are descendants of the legendary super saiyan."

A cough caught their attention, diverting their gaze to Bardock. "Hrm, he is a direct descendent, as am I. My father was your grandfather. He had an affair with my mother and, well I was produced. She had tried to have children three times previously, all with different lovers, but none survived. They were all born dead so the king at the time, well I suppose he was a prince, not a King yet, thought there would be no problem, as no child would be born of the one night stand but... His genes and my mother's created a child strong enough to survive the birthing ordeal."

Vegeta's eyebrow started twitching violently at this, "I hope you realize what you have just implied Bardock." Vegeta said, even he had heard of Bardock and his crew, a bunch of third class saiyans with the power to match the elites.

Bardock shrugged, "I'm just saying what my mother told me while on her death bed."

Vegeta's eyebrow was still twitching as he turned his attention back to his sister. "I won't give up my claim to the thrown..."

"...Karreth." She supplied for him, "And I don't expect you to give it up, I intend to take it from you. I am of royal blood, which can, and has, been confirmed through medical procedures. That means all I need to do is defeat you in single combat, which can easily be done as I am easily twice your strength. You don't really wish to face me right now do you?" Karreth asked in an arched voice. Vegeta's eyebrow twitched even more before he calmed it. There was no way he could defeat his sister when he was at this level. She had many more years of experience and life behind her then he did. "And as long as I can give birth to a suitable heir before you, my line will continue to hold the throne while your line is reduced to being a simple branch family." She said in a smug tone.

Vegeta scowled at her, "I'll make sure that doesn't happen!" He retorted.

"We'll see, was there anything else you wished to talk about Vegeta?" Karreth asked, "Or was the claim on the throne the only topic?"

"It was the only thing I wanted to speak with you about." He snapped rudely, making it sound as if she wasn't worth more then one question. He was not at all pleased with the way the conversation had seemed to end. Karreth had taken control from the very beginning and didn't let go until the very end Vegeta began to doubt his place in the future, but at that moment he vowed that should he fall, he would fall fighting.

Nappa, throughout all this, hadn't a clue what to do. He had been ordered by the late king to protect the heir to the throne, yet up until that point it was Vegeta, yet now it suddenly appeared as if Karreth was the heir to the throne. His slow, dull mind was currently overloading with information overload and indecision. Should he stay with who he had always been with, with the prince who may, or may not, become the heir, or guard the princess? Bardock however was laughing inside, much like Gohan. Both were amused by the exchange between the two. There had been no doubt in their minds as to who would dominate the other, yet it was still humorous to see.

Vegeta looked back at Gohan once more, "You, saiyan, what is your name?" Vegeta demanded.

Gohan arched an eyebrow at him, "I suppose you'll always be you, no matter the age." He said. Vegeta frowned, wanting him to explain but he was already waiting for an answer to something else. "But I suppose it's only fair that you know my name, as I already know yours. The name is Gohan."

Vegeta frowned, "That's no saiyan name!" He declared, Gohan simply shrugged in reply. Suddenly something amiss stood out and he glared at Bardock, "How does you being a descendent of royalty make him a descendent of a super saiyan?" He said as he pointed at Gohan.

Bardock smirked, "Because he is the son of my son, and his father was a super saiyan, that's how."

Vegeta did a few quick calculations in his head before glaring at Bardock, "That's impossible, he shouldn't even be born if he was your grandson!"

Gohan walked forward and patted Vegeta on the head causing Karreth and Bardock to laugh as Vegeta gave him a very angry glare. "Don't worry 'prince'." He said in a mocking tone, "I'll explain it to you in a few years when you have the mental capacity to understand."

"Gohan, don't tease my little brother like that." She said with a warm laugh, her regal posture gone as she lapsed back into the person she was more comfortable with. The sudden change more then confused Vegeta a little; or rather it would have if he wasn't being patted like a dog.

Vegeta grounded his teeth and glared at Gohan. He wanted nothing more then to rip out Gohan's throat and shove it up his ass but he couldn't do anything, not when he was this weak. "But don't worry Vegeta, I know what you wanted to ask, and I'm going to help you, along with others." He replied, "You want to know how strong I became, and don't worry, I'll help you. I doubt you'll ever reach my strength as I'll just keep getting stronger but I'll put you at a level above almost everyone else."

Vegeta's mouth dropped, "H-How did you know..."

"What you wanted to say?" Gohan finished with an eyebrow arched up. "I really don't know how I knew, I just did." He said, a pensive frown suddenly creasing his face. After a moment he shook himself out of his thoughts, "Anyways that brings me to the reason I am here." He said as he turned to face Karreth. "I don't suppose I could have access to your science facilities, and unlimited access to cash and building materials." He asked, his face suddenly changing as an innocent smile creased his face as he brought his hand behind his head and scratched it sheepishly.

Karreth's eyes rose at this, "As much as I like you Gohan, I'm going to need a valid excuse to give you that access." She said.

Gohan nodded, "Of course, wasn't going to take the access and leave you out of whatever it was I wanted to do. I wish to create some gravity chambers. It is a special chamber that allows you to increase or decrease the gravity inside the room." Four sets of eyebrows rose to their respective hairlines at this. They had never thought about training in artificial gravity chambers, and now that the possibility had been brought to their attention it had started turning the gears in their heads rather rapidly. None of them were stupid, well except Nappa, but even he grasped the significance of such a chamber. Just walking around in a chamber with increase gravity would induce far more effective training than an equal amount of time sparring or weight lifting.

Gohan sighed dramatically, "But if you don't want to, it's fine. I helped construct a gravity chamber when I was younger so I know how they work. Just thought I might suggest it, you know. But if you don't want to..."

"... Nononono." Karreth said hurriedly, "Gravity chambers...the thought never occurred to me... What a wonderful idea Gohan! A true genius! I'll grant you full access right away." She said breathlessly. Vegeta would have berated Karreth at granting someone such access, but he had to admit that the potential power increase from such training far outweighed the risks of development.

Gohan smiled happily, he had originally felt bad for using her but not anymore, she wanted this more then he did, he could hardly call that using someone. "Alright, I'll start today, if that's alright. I've decided to also personally train several individuals. With my training you'll become not only stronger, faster, but you'll learn techniques you would not have been able to learn otherwise." He said.

"And who are these people?" Vegeta demanded. As much as he hated Gohan, he was willing to put up with being petted it drastically increased his power.

"You for one." Gohan said, "I know you can go super saiyan so I don't intend to stop until you are. The same goes for Karreth and Bardock. Both also have the potential, and I won't stop until you both have ascended." He said, now looking at Karreth and Bardock. "I also wish to train your team Bardock. hey may be a bunch of third class warriors, but I don't care about class, I care about potential, and they hold far more then most saiyans on this planet, more then even some of the super elites." Gohan said, revealing why he had wanted Bardock to gather his crew. "I think the tests done on the children aren't reliable. They only test their current power level, not the potential they'd be able to reach. I'd say a baby with a power level of 5 and a potential of 1,000,000 is far more valuable then a baby with a power level of 100 and a potential of 10,000." Gohan said. "The only exception is Brolly... I need to find him before its too late." He didn't realize he said that last part aloud until he heard a laugh behind him.

"Brolly? He's dead! My father had him killed along with his father." Vegeta said.

Gohan shook his head, "You're wrong. You think simply stabbing a child with a power level of 10,000 is going to kill it? No, both he and his father are both still alive and well. The child took them both off world to some place in the southern quadrant. I need to find him before he goes insane from his power. He has access to a slightly different version of super saiyan than we do, one that pumps out far more power, but at the cost of ones sanity." Gohan held up at hand to stall any protests, "What do you want more, answers, or that chamber?" He asked, silencing everyone. He knew how to manipulate saiyans. He looked over at Karreth and smiled, "Mind showing me where the labs are so I can get started? The first step is developing the technology, and then we can start building."

Karreth smiled and nodded, "This way Gohan." She said as she turned down one of the hallways. Gohan followed close behind. He had more then one reason for wanting to build the gravity chambers. He may not be a god, but that doesn't mean he couldn't try. The gods and guardians used magic to create those rooms, and he was going to see if technology could duplicate it.

Bardock straightened and with a salute to Vegeta he turned and headed out of the palace. He had to tell his crew the news. He wanted to tell them the good news. He knew they would be just as excited as he was at the prospect of even attaining a fraction of the strength his grandson apparently possessed. One thing scared him more then anything else though, just how strong was his grandson? He had witness him destroy Frieza first, an act that seemed almost impossible at the time. Then not more then four days later Cold, Frieza's father, fell to his feet. A tyrant that was far, far stronger then his son and Gohan had done no training in between the two fights; in fact all he did was sleep. That should not have had any effect on his power. So it was an excited, yet also very worried, Bardock that left the palace to greet his crew and tell them about the news.

Vegeta however was none too impressed at the moment. He would have thrown a fit and gone on a killing spree if Gohan hadn't dangled the temptation to help him attain the legendary level of the saiyan race in front of his face. He had dreamed of becoming a super saiyan, ever since his father had told him about the legend. Vegeta would have accepted a life time of servitude to Frieza if it had helped him attain that legendary level, yet it appeared as if this Gohan would help him, no strings attached. Vegeta frowned at this, now he was suspicious. No one offered such help without wanting something in return. He promised himself to keep an eye on this Gohan as he knew Karreth would not. Not when he had her in the palm of his hand.

-

* * *

-

The days slid by as Gohan worked constantly on the gravity chambers. There were many times he wished he had access to Doctor Brief's and Bulma's knowledge but he knew he had to make do with just himself. Luckily for him the saiyans possessed far superior technological capabilities then the humans. Another blessing was that, despite having no prior knowledge on how to create a gravity chamber, the scientists he worked with were very intelligent and were able to grasp the concepts he put forth relatively easily.

The labs were extremely well stocked and Karreth directed several of the brightest scientists to help him construct the chambers. At first the scientists were leery of working with Gohan, thinking him merely an unthinking brute with unimaginable power but when he showed intelligence that rivaled their own their distrust quickly evaporated. It was also very rare for scientists in a warlike race to have much funding in any of their endeavors and the chance to have unlimited access was something they did not want to give up. With access to unlimited funds and building materials proved to be extremely helpful. Doctor Briefs, although very wealthy, didn't have access to unlimited wealth, and was limited to materials located only on Earth and so was forced to create, although workable, a very inefficient gravity chamber created from shoddy material, or rather shoddy in comparison to what Gohan was given access to.

With the help of the scientists Gohan learned what they currently could, and couldn't do, in under a day, and by the end of a single week they had developed plans for a prototype. Gohan could have created one without such plans, but he wasn't sure how the materials he had chosen would do. He knew all about the strengths and weaknesses of the earthbound materials, but he wanted to create the best, not simply replicate what he had seen. There was also an additional reason for doing this. If the prototype worked he would be able to expand upon it, making it more then just a gravity chamber.

When the plans had been completed Gohan had shown them to Karreth and told her what was required to create the prototype. Karreth, not caring about the cost, had the materials shipped in, or dug up as some could be found on the planet itself. As soon as the materials started arriving Gohan, along with the scientists and some top level construction workers began to construct it piece by piece. Gohan wanted to waste as little time as possible. He didn't know why, but he felt it was urgent to have this completed and as soon as possible. He just knew he had to get it up and running smoothly with proper management before whatever it was he sensed coming happened.

The entire project was kept quiet, most at the command of both Vegeta and Karreth. It was one of the few things they agreed upon. The two could always be seen arguing with one another whenever they tried to hold a conversation. Vegeta though, true to his promise, kept an eye on Gohan. He knew he was up to something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Gohan genuinely seemed to want to help him, with no strings attached, and it was bothering him more then anything else.

During the two weeks that were required to create the first prototype chamber Karreth was announced and officially accepted as heir to the throne and would ascend as Queen the moment she was able to produce a suitable mate to be her consort. This news only drove Karreth to new heights to try to gain Gohan's attention. Thankfully he was able to fight her off with the excuse that he was working on the project, and for the most part he was.

Two weeks after the initial proposal of the creation of gravity chambers the first prototype was constructed using a secret lab located inside an artificial lake that was inside the palace itself. There was a tunnel connection it to the rest of the palace and just before the lab there was a small antechamber type room. As for the chamber itself, technically everything was right, the theory behind it was sound, modeling after the same theory Bulma had taught him back on Earth, so there shouldn't be any problems yet everyone was nervous, especially Gohan, although for a different reason. He had been letting people down all his life, from his first fight with Vegeta and Nappa to the fight with Buu, in every last one of them he let someone down in some way. This caused him to be conscious of getting peoples hopes up since he did not want to see them crushed when he failed.

As Gohan stepped into the gravity chamber with Vegeta and Karreth the door closed behind them sealing them away from the rest of the world.

"For the amount of time, effort and money spent on this, it had better work Gohan." Vegeta said.

Karreth glared at Vegeta, "Shut it brother, it'll work and even if it doesn't it'll work the next time, or the time afterwards. Without his help and knowledge we wouldn't have even come this far." She said in Gohan's defense.

Gohan looked between the two, still nervous although he hid it well. Despite Karreth's words he had to succeed this time. "Well, there's only one way to find out." Gohan said as he approached the computer. "Computer?" Gohan asked.

"Yes creator?" A mechanical voice asked from the computer console. The computer console had been constructed much like the ones he had seen. He decided that, even if he wanted to use the best material, might as well keep it simple until he knew it worked. Afterwards he could make it fancy. The computer AI wasn't his idea, a couple of the scientists thought it needed a little something to make it special, even if it was a prototype, and had developed it as a side job. The room itself was much like the one back home as well, albeit built with much different material.

"Double the gravity in this room." He said.

"As you wish creator." The computer responded and a humming sound filled the room.

Gohan felt nothing but both Karreth and Vegeta did. The two of them staggered under the sudden change in gravity before for a moment before they were able to right themselves again, although it took a little more time and effort for Vegeta.

"I think it worked." Karreth said, "I definitely feel a difference, it's like my body weight just doubled."

Gohan nodded, "That's the way it is supposed to work. It's like wearing weighted clothing, except it's on every part of your body rather then just the portions that wear clothing. It may be fine now, but try training like that." Gohan said. Both Vegeta and Karreth exchanged looks. This most definitely make training harder, yet more effective.

"Why don't we see what each of you can withstand?" Gohan asked. When they both agreed he went back spoke once again to the computer, "Raise gravity to four times Vegeta gravity."

The humming sound didn't increase; the only indication of the increase of gravity was the grunts that came from behind him. He turned around and noticed Vegeta had been reduced to his hands and knees. Karreth however, was still on her feet, although rather unsteadily. Gohan still hadn't noticed much of an increase. His clothes tugged on his body a little but aside from that nothing had really changed.

Vegeta took one look at Karreth and snarled as he slowly struggled to his feet and managed to stay there although it was obvious it was taking all of his will power.

Gohan nodded, "Alright, computer, return us to normal gravity." He said and soon the humming noise came to a halt as gravity reverted back to normal. "Looks like your maximum is four times Vegeta, while Karreth's is five, maybe six but that would be pushing it."

"And you Gohan?" Karreth asked curiously, "How much can you sustain?" She asked.

Gohan grinned, "I'm about to find out. I'm also going to test to see how much this can take. It works far better then I had hoped at the lower settings, I want to see how well it functions at the higher ones." He replied.

When Vegeta and Karreth didn't move he looked at them curiously, "Umm... I kind of can't test it with you here. I'll be using gravity levels that would ground you both into dust before you could scream." He said.

The two nodded and silently left the room. When they had left Gohan turned back to the computer. "What is the limit that you can set the gravity to?" He asked.

"There is no limit. I can increase it until the moment I am crushed by the pressure I create." It responded.

Gohan nodded, "What is the limit that you can sustain?" Gohan asked.

"I do not know." It replied.

Gohan grumbled, "I hate guess and check." Gohan braced himself, "Alright computer, let's see what you can do. Set the gravity to fifty times Vegeta gravity."

The humming sound started up again, it was a little louder then with Vegeta and Karreth but that was to be expected. The change of weight finally began to press down on Gohan. Had he been at his maximum before being sent back in time it would have been nothing, as it was he was close to his limit.

"Computer, I want a full diagnostic." Gohan gasped out.

"Yes creator." It responded. "External and interior plates are showing no signs of buckling or stress. All systems are registering fine. There is a slight leak of pressure near the door but it is within acceptable tolerance levels. Electro magnetic shielding is showing no signs of fluctuation or stress. Everything is fine."

Gohan nodded, "Alright, return gravity back to normal. This test was a success." He breathed out as the gravity returned to normal. Gohan turned and left the chamber, a big smile on his face. When he got outside Karreth, Vegeta, and everyone else that had been part of the building process were waiting for the results. Gohan smiled at them, "Well, aside from a slight leak in pressure near the entrance there is absolutely no problems with it, at least none that the computer or I could tell. We'll have to go over it again to make certain, but I'd say this test went as well, if not better, than anticipated." Gohan announced. Sighs of relief echoed throughout the room. Gohan may have been safe from any form of harm but that didn't mean Vegeta and Karreth wouldn't take their disappointment out on them.

Gohan turned to Vegeta and Karreth, "If you give us about a week we should be able to finalize the chamber to create a fully functional one."

Vegeta frowned, "What's wrong with this? The door shouldn't cause that much of a problem!" Vegeta declared.

Gohan shrugged, "I know, but I want to add things to it. No point in only going half way. This test was just to make sure the gravity generator was working. I'm not going to be satisfied until I produce something that is worth our time." He finished.

Vegeta protested a couple more times but was quickly silenced by either Karreth or Gohan. Karreth, like Vegeta, wanted to use it right away but she trusted Gohan's judgment, and she had to admit to herself that she was more then a little curious as to what these additions were.

The final machine was finished a day later then Gohan had predicted, simply because he wanted to spend a day going over everything double and triple checking it to make sure it was perfect, or so damn near that it would take a supreme kai with a microscope to find a flaw. When Karreth and Vegeta came to inspect the gravity chamber they had to admit, they were impressed. When Gohan had said he wanted to add a few things, he neglected to say he was making it capable of sustaining a family of saiyans for a life time. The gravity chamber itself had been decreased in size but it was still large enough that even Vegeta couldn't complain. In addition to the gravity chamber there was a fusion power generator situated at the far end of the lab which supplied power for the entire place and then some. Gohan had thought it was wise to add the generator in case of a power outage in the city. The generator shutting off due to abnormal means may cause complications he'd rather not deal with. In addition to the generator room there were two bedrooms, each with a bathroom attached to it and capable of holding eight saiyans in each, a kitchen with several materialization machines to create the food on the spot. Those three rooms were on the left side of the lab; on the right was a storage facility with various extra parts and tools that could be used to patch up any minor problems that could arise unforeseen in the future. In addition to that there was a rejuvenation chamber, which was split into two parts, one for females and one for males. And the last room was simply a relaxation area. It was a place where one could go to just sit down and relax if they want a break from training. There was one addition that Gohan felt needed to be added. When a door was opened between one of the adjacent rooms and the gravity chamber the gravity was set down to normal Vegeta gravity. There were also monitors position inside the main room that monitored the health conditions of the people within. The gravity settings also reset themselves back to normal should anyone train themselves to the point of exhaustion or death appeared imminent unless help was administered immediately.

Karreth couldn't believe what Gohan and the others had created; it was like a saiyans dream come true. Everything one could want all warped up in a nice little package. Even Vegeta had to acknowledge that he, too, was very impressed. He couldn't fault a single thing with it, aside from the relaxation area, but he couldn't think of anything better that could have been put in its place. He had everything he needed, gravity controls, food, rejuvenation chamber, and a bed should he need it.

Karreth turned to Gohan. She, Vegeta, Gohan and Bardock were all inspecting the interior of the room, the scientist and workers were outside hoping for good news. "This is amazing! This is like a dream come true! I could live here!" She exclaimed.

Vegeta smirked, "Unfortunately you cannot. You have duties to attend to as heir to the throne. I however do not and shall be found down here most of the time." He responded, feeling for the first time glad he wasn't the official heir. It meant he had more time to train and become strong.

Suddenly Bardock frowned, "There is something odd about this set up." He said suddenly drawing their attention to him. He turned and looked back at his grandson. "How are you going to train?" He asked.

Gohan shrugged, "I'm not. Like you said, this set up is odd, odd in that it'll only work perfectly for people that are near the same level, like you, Vegeta and Karreth, along with a few others. That way you could all train at the same gravity level and still gain some from it. I won't, but that's because I'm not here to train myself, but rather you. I'm going to teach you several neat techniques that I'm sure you'll find useful in the future. The first being the ability to sense power levels without the use of a scouter." He said, "The second is being able to hide your power, very useful for making the enemy underestimate you, and therefore, drop his guard and/or make mistakes."

"But, don't you need to train?" Karreth asked curiously. "I mean it's not fair that you put all this effort into making something that you don't benefit from!" Vegeta silently agreed, hoping that now the reason behind all of this is going to appear.

Gohan laughed, "Well, the reason is that Karreth; you're the strongest here, ranking at about 21,000. If you were to compare that to me using the same scale... I'm infinitely stronger. I'm over 230 million. Still only about a third of my maximum, and until I reach that maximum once again there is no point in training as it'll amount to nothing. In seven weeks I should be back to full strength and by then more then likely there will be multiple rooms like this."

When the others managed to pick their jaws off the ground Karreth replied, "230 million... that can't be right... that's... monstrous..." She gasped out.

Gohan shrugged, "Regardless, it's the truth. I've fought creatures that make the power I have now seem like nothing. I could shatter mountains by punching them and they wouldn't even feel the blow but that is neither here nor there."

"And why do you wish to train us! This still hasn't explained why. You said you'd teach us all these techniques and abilities, yet you get nothing in return. If you were simply waiting for your power to return to normal you wouldn't want to teach us, you shouldn't have to! You've already done all this and for nothing and yet you still wish to do more?!" Vegeta yelled. He was extremely upset. He knew Gohan was up to something, and he would be damned if he didn't find out.

When Gohan turned to regard Vegeta his face changed. A strange smirk crossed his face as he slightly tilted his head; his left eye took upon an eerie glow. The look he gave them was so alien that it shocked them to their cores. "One single and simple reason Vegeta. There is a storm coming and I'm just making sure our race survives it."

"What do you mean!" Vegeta demanded when he came out of his shock, "What storm?"

Gohan shrugged, his appearance returning to normal, "I really don't know..." Gohan said. He himself was more then a little confused.

"The Aeesu-jins are angered by the deaths of their two strongest. By killing both Frieza and Cold, Gohan has unleashed the anger of their entire race on your own." A voice said. Four heads turned to regard the fifth person in the chamber, one that both Karreth and Gohan recognized.

"Supreme Kai! What are you doing here?" Gohan gasped out.

The supreme kai smiled one of those damned irritating smiles that everyone hates. The 'I know something so important and major it could shake the universe to its foundation, but I'm not going to share it' smile. One of the smiles that made the recipient want to rip out the other's head and shit down their throat. "Oh, you know, just simply passing through and decided to see how things were going. Coincidentally I managed to catch the entire conversation." He replied, infuriating Gohan even more.

Gohan was getting the urge to punch him because of the damned smile when something occurred to him, "What happened to your hair?"

The supreme kai coughed for a moment, "I ah, lost a war with a pair of scissors when I went to trim it the other day so I just decided to return it back to the way it was before I started sharing my body with my assistant."

"Well, it's a small improvement at least." Gohan said as he eyed the kai's new/old hairstyle.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Vegeta yelled, finally being able to recover from his shock at meeting the supposed highest authority in the universe. "You're telling me Gohan is responsible for bringing the wrath of the entire Aeesu-jin race against us?!"

The supreme kai shrugged nonchalantly, "Yes, pretty much. But you also need to remember that you wouldn't even HAVE a race to BEGIN with if it wasn't for Gohan. You would be whipped, beaten, and raped by Frieza by now if it were not for Gohan so I think you should have a little more gratitude!" The supreme kai snapped, not at all liking Vegeta's tone. He may not be able to intimidate Gohan, but Vegeta and the others that didn't know him; they were a far different matter.

Vegeta quickly shut up and didn't say a word. Angering a kai is not a good idea, angering a supreme kai is asking for a long and painful death. And Vegeta didn't want to die, not until he had attained true power anyways.

"But, if their entire race is going to attack, what chance do we have?" Bardock asked, echoing the sentiments of both Vegeta and Karreth.

"Quite a good one I do believe. Despite what you may think Frieza and Cold were examples of the finest breeding with the best training. No one else could really compare to them. Aeesu-jins aren't normally supposed to have more then 1 evolutionary state, but Frieza and Cold both found two additional ones, while Cooler found three." Kibitoshin revealed, "But don't worry about Cooler, I've already taken care of him and the same with Brolly. Brolly will be taken to a special world where he can get the mental treatment he needs to help him stay sane."

"Well, that's one worry off my mind, and a second I hadn't realized about." Gohan said with a small amount of relief.

The supreme kai nodded. "I know what you have planned Gohan, I can read your mind like an open book. You don't need to worry about the androids or Cell as they won't be created for at least another thirty years and I'm almost certain that everything will be done and over with in two at the most. As for Buu, well, we'll wait until you're fully recovered before we tackle him."

"What about Piccolo and Garlic Jr.?" Gohan asked.

The supreme kai smiled again, "Again don't worry. Piccolo will never become stronger than your father, and the constant fighting between the two of them will make them each strong enough to handle him when the time comes, and knowing Piccolo like I do he won't allow anyone else aside from himself, to take over the Earth."

"So aside from Buu there is nothing I need to worry about..." Gohan said in relief. Buu may have been a terror in his time, but he had survived it. He was far stronger now then Kid Buu was, and that was the ultimate form of Buu.

The supreme kai nodded. "There were other measures I would have taken had I known you saiyans could get as strong as you Gohan, and since I know now we can initiate them. Buu may not even have to be revived."

Gohan smiled happily, he may not ever be able to see his father again, but at least he won't have to worry about his father or anyone else on Earth facing the cataclysmic battles of his time. This conversation, as one could imagine, was making absolutely no sense to the other three saiyans in attendance, but that didn't really matter to the last two as it didn't involve them in any way, shape or form.

"So you and me will head to Earth after this invasion and take care once and for all?" Gohan asked curiously. "What about Babidi, could he not just make another Majin Buu?"

The supreme kai nodded, "Yes, you, another and I will head to Earth to take care of Buu. As for Babidi, he could, if he had his father to teach him, but he doesn't. There is no way he'll be able to replicate Buu, and he's too old to start the research now."

"Alright, now then, all that's left to do is train everyone as fast and hard as possible. My father was able to increase his power from 15,000 to 180,000 in a week, so these three should be able to do the same." Gohan said.

"And I'll let you do your stuff." The supreme kai turned to Vegeta and grinned, "I wonder how you'll turn out this time without Frieza to influence you. Regardless, the strongest Aeesu-jin still alive should be weaker then Frieza was at his weakest point. Still a fantastic level compared to a regular saiyan but with proper training..." The kai smiled, "And another strong person like Gohan will be joining you soon. Expect that person when you see them." And with that the supreme kai was gone.

To be continued...

-

A/N: There, the chapter is out nice and fast, don't expect the next one any time soon. It'll be out when it's out.

A/N: The fact that Bardock's father was prince Vegeta's grandfather will explain how Bardock was strong enough to challenge the elites when he was just a third class, also would explain how Goku was able to go super saiyan as well as his sons. I've seen too many "Bardock fucked a princess" explanations, so I made my own, one I hope is believable. Hehe.

A/N: Sorry for the change of perspective but I needed to pass a lot of time quickly, and I didn't feel it was really appropriate to keep everything that happened in the dark. You can't really blame me; do you really want me to explain every little detail that happened? It would get really repetitive and boring after awhile. As it is, the chapter STILL managed to hit 8,000 words and I didn't get to do everything I wanted. Heck, I only managed to do about half the stuff.


	9. Chapter 8: Genocide

A/N: I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about never writing here again beacuse FANFICTION IS SCREWING EVERYTHING UP! Why the HELL can't I leave a single blank line between scene changes and my title and the story? It helps make the story look nicer, AND THEY SCREW IT UP! THEY SUCK SO BAD IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!! Why the HELL can't I make my own line breaks? Why are we FORCED to do things THEIR way. Next they'll tell us what to write! Saying you can't have anyone die, or have any swear words, or have anyone even wearing bathing suits because it might offend someones sensibility... GOD THIS PLACE HAS ONLY GONE DOWNHILL SINCE I CAME HERE!!!! I am getting seriously fucking pissed off!

Responses to Reviews:

Sirius Potter: Hmmm…

Anime-Ronin: Yes, Vegeta will get better then he was in the series but he's still going to be an ass. I'm taking things from his personality from the Bardock Special as that is before Frieza warped and twisted him. Don't expect him to turn into a Goku or anything. He's still going to be stuck up, arrogant and a few others, simply because he IS royalty.

Kirome: You like Vegeta? To be honest I really don't. That doesn't mean I'm just going to throw him by the wayside and let him stagnate though. You may not like Karreth, well that shouldn't turn you off because if you've read all of my other stories they can be very unpredictable. Who knows what's in the future. As for who will take the throne… To be honest I'm not sure as of yet. I purposely left it open simply because I agree with you on one point. I may not like Vegeta, but he's always been "The Saiyan Prince" and Karreth is just an original character I made up. There won't be a true King/Queen until near the end anyways so I have plenty of time to figure out exactly what's going to happen. Anyways, if it's the confrontations between Karreth and Vegeta that turn you off… Don't let it stop you from reading as it's a very very minor part and will be virtually non-existent after this chapter, which you will see throughout this chapter. They slowly begin to agree on things more and more as Karreth becomes more compensative and Vegeta less of a stubborn, stuck up jackass.

Hmmm… not getting many reviews… wonder if it's because I take forever to update. You know, I'm not going to demand for reviews but I would like some. There's a reason behind it. If I get no reviews, it makes it seem as if no one reads the story, and what's the point of a story if no one cares about it? My first two were because I wanted to write them for myself, this one is because I wanted to write a good "Gohan goes back to the past and fix stuff" story, although it'll end up being more than that. The thing is if no one reads then well… It's a kind of a turn off. Reviews are the only way I can tell if people read my story. The more reviews I get, the more motivation I have to bring out the next chapter simply because I know people will actually read the stuff I write. It also appears as if all the original reviewers I had are gone, which sucks ass, maybe I shouldn't have waited so long. Well, can't do much about lack of motivation.

(FanFiction Sucks)

**Warning: Monster Chapter. Must be prepared to break it up or have a lot of spare time to blow! Over 30 pages long.**

(FanFiction Sucks)

**Chapter 8: Genocide**

(FanFiction Sucks)

Vegeta, Karreth and Bardock were not the only three to train with Gohan in the special gravity chamber. Gohan had went out and searched for those with the greatest potential, regardless of current strength. As such there were many upset elite saiyans that thought they were better then a few of the people Gohan had collected. Bardock's entire crew joined the three saiyans inside the large gravity chamber, as did a few elites, first, second and third class saiyans.

Almost as soon as the original gravity chamber was completed Karreth and Vegeta both ordered the creation of more. Although they would never admit it they both had the same goals for the saiyan race, to meld it into the greatest, and strongest, race in the universe and both realized that the gravity chambers were perhaps the best way to accomplish that. These gravity chambers, of course, were not going to be anywhere near as intricate or powerful as the one they were going to train in. They wanted to reserve rights to brag about being trained by the best, with the best and they weren't going to let the average citizen match them. It was their right to have that after all.

As it was, it was a rather motley crew that was gathered in the chamber the day Gohan started to teach his lessons.

Gohan looked around at the people assembled in front of him. There were an equal number of females as there were males, 15 in total. Quite surprisingly it was harder to find any additional males above the five he had already discovered. It appeared that while males generally had a higher level of power, females in general possessed a higher potential. It was simply harder for them to attain that potential then it was for males hence the usual discrepancy in power between the two.

"I'm sure you all know why you've been gathered, or the basics at the very least." Gohan said as he paced in front of the assembled saiyans. "Of you sixteen, only Bardock, Karreth and Vegeta know the reasoning behind all this, and I suppose it's time you found out now. If you were anyone else but saiyans I would be hesitant to say this but knowing you all like a good fight this should only make you train harder." Gohan said.

"Just get this over with so we can start!" Vegeta growled.

Gohan glared at him, "Shut up Vegeta. You've already went and started ahead of everyone else while I was out gathering these people, you can wait a couple minutes while I explain a few things." Gohan said and returned his attention back to the gathered crowd. There were more than just a few saiyans that grumbled at this, but they were more shocked at the tone Gohan used with the prince. "I'm training you so I'm not forced to fight the entire Aeesu-jin race on my own. Killing Frieza and Cold pissed them off and now they wish to carry out a mass genocidal massacre on our race but I intend to return the favor." This made the assembled saiyans murmur worriedly. Sure, enjoying a fight was something they all liked but going up against the Aeesu-jin was just suicide. "Now I know what you're thinking. That fighting their entire race is suicide, it's not. Their strongest fighter is weaker than Frieza at his lowest point. Still far stronger then anyone in here, but I intend to change that. I'm not sure when they'll arrive, but I intend for you sixteen to all be stronger then their strongest. You'll still be vastly out numbered but I don't intend on just making you stronger." Gohan said, raising their spirits a little. "Strength, something all saiyans want, but to be honest it's useless. Strength is nothing if you don't have the speed to hit your opponent, or the brains to know when to use it. I promise you will become stronger than them, but more than that, you'll become smarter and faster, two things that are more useful then strength. A saiyan with the right knowledge and plenty of speed can take down someone twice their strength, or twice the number of opponents someone of equal strength could." Gohan regarded the others and smirked. "There are a few rules I must put in place before I will teach you anything." Gohan revealed startling everyone, "First off, rank holds no meaning here. Outside this chamber it does, but once you step in here everyone is equal."

"WHAT!" Vegeta roared. "I will not tolerate this!"

"Then leave." Gohan said calmly, "If you do not like it, leave. There is a reason behind it. Can you honestly expect a third class fighter to give you a decent fight when they're too wrapped up worrying about rank? No, they'll be scared shitless. If rank has no meaning then they can go full out, it'll be like fighting another third class warrior to them. But there is more to it then that. Just like rank has no meaning, strength will have none either. If I see someone using their strength to push others around and force them to do things they would not have otherwise done…" Gohan's face became as hard as diamond, "I'll kill you myself. I will NOT tolerate abuse of power while you are being trained under me. What you do with it AFTER you leave here is up to you, and you'll face the consequences that either Vegeta or Karreth hand out because of it, but here if you abuse it, you will die. No if, ands or buts, am I clear?" Gohan demanded.

Fifteen heads nodded almost in sync. The sudden change was more then enough to slam the meaning behind the words home. "Gohan aren't you taking this a little far?" Karreth asked, her voice trembling only slightly.

Gohan tilted his head as he regarded Karreth, "No I am not, one thing I ALSO intend to teach is teamwork. I'm sick and tired of seeing people turn down aid to fight solo only to have their ass handed to them, something that would NOT have happened if they had accepted help that had been offered. You can fight solo with each other, or when someone challenges you to a one on one fight when it's not something dire. But when your entire damned race hinges on a single fight, I don't give a fuck about your pride. You will accept all the help that is offered, even if it only gives you the slightest edge. That edge may be the difference between winning the fight and losing everything. That teamwork can not be taught if people are constantly trying to vie for control or dominance so you will all be equal to eliminate that." Gohan said, answering Karreth's question. "Now, this is getting rather long winded so keep the protests off while I explain the other rules. There aren't very many. The next is rule is that that you obey everything I say. Rank and strength have no meaning here, but I do. I'm going to forge you fifteen into the greatest saiyan force this universe has ever seen, and I can't do it with you constantly questioning my orders. I won't make you do anything stupid, embarrassing, or otherwise perverted. Anything I make you do will only make you stronger in the end. Another rule, and this one is directed to the females, I am off-limits. Don't even THINK of trying to get me. Hell that goes for everyone. You're here to train, not to mate. Do that when you leave. If I see any kind of flirting going on, you might as well leave or I'm going to throw you out. Relationships will only get you into trouble right now. Forge friendships now and expand on them later when you leave. And one last rule, I won't tolerate any sexism here. You're all here because you have the greatest potential out of all the saiyans. Your current strength means nothing to me, which is why there is such a diverse group here. And guys, just to throw you off your high horse, I was hard pressed to find males with sufficient potential to keep up with my training whereas for females it was hard to choose because there were so many. It may be harder for females to grow stronger than males, but females have a higher potential, meaning while some of you may max out here, the females will not. They will keep getting stronger. There are a few exceptions to this, like Bardock and Vegeta who have exceptionally high potentials, but in general, given time, females will always end up stronger then males." This caused more then just a few expressions of surprise to appear. "Now, unless anyone has any questions… I'd like to start the training." Gohan finished with a smile.

Of course there were no questions. Or rather, as Gohan figured it would happen, there were some but everyone was more interested in training and becoming stronger than asking questions. One of the reasons why it was much harder to pick males wasn't simply because of the difference in potentials, although that was a major factor. Males were used to dominating the females and Gohan found it hard to find a male with not only the right potential, but the right attitude as well. With females it was merely finding someone who wouldn't drool upon instant contact with them. Although that was a chore in and of itself but he had managed it far more easily than with the males as just about every female had the right potential.

"Now, we're going to do some meditation, sit or stand in the position that is the most comfortable as you won't be leaving it for several hours. It may seem useless, but with proper mental control you'll not only be able to find people without a scouter, but determine how strong they are and even hide from them. I don't think I need to tell any of you the advantage of that. But in case I do, it means you don't need your eyes to see and fight your opponent. And just to keep you from complaining we're going to do this in three times Vegeta gravity. This way you can increase your strength, stamina and mental capacity all at the same time. The first technique I'll teach you is the ability to sense others without a scouter. You must clear your mind of all thoughts and become aware of your energy, your life force. You all know you have it, and how to use it, but to find it and sense it, that's something different. Once you're able to sense and manipulate your own you'll be able to use it to find others. Consider it like a blanket. Just extend your energy outwards from your center like a blanket until you can't extend it any further. Since you're not using it, only moving it around, it won't tire you out or cost you anything except time to do it."

Gohan continued to drone on as the other fifteen saiyans teaching them exactly how to sense others. Gohan soon found an additional bonus to increasing the gravity during this part of the training. It made becoming comfortable difficult, making it hard to meditate but Gohan knew that if they could do it under these conditions it'll only make it easier for them to use it later on during battle where the distractions are even greater.

By the end of the day no one was angered at the thought of not actually sparing and training, more they were thankful. Had they sparred immediately they would have had to quit much earlier due to sheer exhaustion. They never knew training under a higher gravity setting could do some much. They all felt as if they had ran the entire day, stopping once for a meal and that was it. Even Bardock, Karreth and Vegeta were tired after the day was over. No one had managed to sense their own energy but Gohan wasn't worried. He himself felt that a few were quite close as it was and had the gravity been normal more than half would have achieved that point.

There was one thing Gohan had to give to these saiyans. There ability to learn new abilities and techniques was phenomenal. The people in his family, and Vegeta's, had always been able to grasp new techniques and abilities quite easily. He had always thought it was just because his father was a genius when it came to fighting and Vegeta because of his ancestry, but it was more than just that. It was a racial ability. All saiyans had this ability. When it came to developing and learning techniques that would aid them in a fight, their learning ability was on a level beyond any of the other races. It was true that he had only gone for the best, but they came from so many different areas of society that it was impossible to pass it off as anything but a racial skill.

They continued on like this for the first week, no physical exertion aside from the pressure applied upon them from ever increasing gravity. Meditation all day, aside from one day when Gohan felt it was necessary that everyone sat around and relaxed. There was much complaint at this but Gohan silenced them by knocking the two loudest on their asses and explaining his reasoning. One thing all saiyans seemed to think was that one nights rest was enough to have their body fully recuperate from intense physical exertion. Only regenerators had that kind of ability. The gravity had reached eight times Vegeta gravity by the end of the week, dramatically increasing the endurance and strength of the saiyans training within the chamber. But what pleased Gohan more than that was the increased control they had on their energy.

The saiyans had all learned how to sense and feel their own energy, as well as extend it outwards to sense that of those around them. Much to the males chagrin it was they who had the most difficulty in learning how to sense others. Every female had learned it by the end of the third day, while it had taken some males until the middle of the fifth. On the opposite note, the males had a much easier time adjusting to the new gravity settings and if it were not for the females the gravity settings would have exceeded twelve.

There had been several occasions where Karreth was forced to leave and deal with some administrative work. She always left grumbling leaving a very smug and pleased Vegeta behind and whenever she came back she threw herself into her training twice as hard as before. Karreth still managed to stay stronger than Vegeta, but both were increasing at such a rapid pace that it left the other saiyans feeling rather jealous. But that was nothing compared to Bardock's progression.

There was something in Bardock's genes that was unique. The same thing that made Goku so much stronger then Vegeta despite having the same ancestry, the same reason that he, himself, was able to surpass them both, the same thing that allowed him to become a mystic saiyan. Had the old kai's technique been used on any other saiyan, it would have done nothing, or if anything the power increase would have been so minor as to make it a virtual waste of time.

Bardock wasn't weak when he first started training, being third behind Karreth and Gohan. But now he had surpassed Karreth by a large margin. His genetic structure had created a body that, like Goku and Gohan, gained far more from the same amount of training as anyone else, and when you work just as hard, if not more so, than the rest it isn't long before you surpass everyone else by a fair margin. Bardock had been the first to sense his energy, and the first to learn how to feel those around him. This was not totally due to his genes, but also due to his brilliance. He may have been a very strong saiyan, but that strength was surpassed by his intelligence.

One thing Gohan was thankful of was the rule regarding himself that he had stressed in the beginning. A few females glanced at the other male saiyans more often then necessary, but the majority always had their eyes on him. They didn't openly flirt like he had requested, but it was impossible for him to ask them to completely quell the raging lust that burned in their eyes. He knew he could handle that. What he was having a hard time dealing with was the look in Karreth's. Lust he could deal with but love; now that was something entirely different. He had to deal with it in Videl and that was bad enough and now, not even a month later, he was going to have to deal with it in her mother. Life just wasn't fair to him.

By the end of the week the big three had not only discovered how to sense others, but were able to determine how strong they were and who they were. A couple others had managed to accomplish that much as well, including Toma and Celipa from Bardock's crew but those three had also gone on and learned how to hide their life force, both from scouters and from those using Gohan's technique.

"Well, I must say I am impressed." Gohan said as he addressed his trainees. It was exactly one week after the beginning of the training session.

"You going to let us in on what you'll teach us next?" Vegeta asked.

Gohan nodded, liking the change in Vegeta. He had become slightly more respectful. Vegeta had grown strong, and was still growing, at a faster pace then when he had started. Vegeta apparently liked what he was receiving out of this training. "Yes, you, Bardock and Karreth have all mastered the two basic techniques I had wanted to start with. The others have yet to do so but I am confident that within a week's time they'll be able to join you three in the next phase." Gohan looked over at Bardock and grinned, "I've already decided how I'm going to teach teamwork. But unfortunately you can't participate in it as of yet so I'll have you do something slightly different."

Vegeta growled, "Teamwork! I still don't see why we have to do this! A true saiyan fights alone." He declared angrily.

Gohan turned his head and glared at him, "Yes, I know, I've heard that so many times from you that if I hear it again I think I'll be sick. If true saiyans fight alone then why are teams of saiyans sent out to cleanse planets? You wish to know why? Because alone they cannot win! I don't care what you do after this battle, but for it you WILL work with others, as a team! In the end, when the dust has settled, one of the two races will be extinct. And I will not let it be the saiyans simply because you're too stubborn and prideful to accept a little help! If you wish to become a good leader, a good King, you will have to start looking beyond your own personal selfish pride and greed or you may find yourself putting down so many rebellions from the time you ascend to the moment you are killed in battle that you will never know a moment of peace. And trust me, however pleasant that may sound now, in fifty years you will be wishing you had taken a different path. A life of constant battle will drain the life from you faster than eternal servitude under Frieza ever could. The constant rebellions would also weaken the Saiyan Empire and perhaps allow for another race to take your place as the strongest in the universe." Gohan lectured Vegeta.

It was quite a sight to the other saiyans. Here the prince of all saiyans was being lectured by a third class warrior, even if the warrior was the strongest in the universe. It was amusing to say the least but they wouldn't let it show. If Vegeta saw them laugh or even crack a smile there would be hell to pay when they left, and they had no doubts about who would be stronger in the end. Only Bardock and Karreth showed anything, simply because they knew Vegeta couldn't do anything to them.

"Do you understand Vegeta?" Gohan demanded.

Vegeta grumbled under his breath but nodded never-the-less.

Gohan grinned, "Good, but just to ease your mind a little, I won't pair you up with anyone 'lower' than you." Gohan said.

Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise as the meaning took hold. He snapped his eyes at Karreth to see the same wide eyed expression on her face. "You expect me to work with him/her?" They said in unison.

Gohan shrugged, "Yes, actually I do. Behind Bardock you two are the strongest. But more than that, it's also about appearance. Rank may hold no meaning here, but out there I realize and accept that it does. I do not think it would be taken well if you were seen fighting along side lower class saiyans so you will be paired together: The prince and princess fighting side by side. It may actually create stories or legends, who know." Gohan said with a wry smile. He could still see doubtful looks on their faces. "Ok, put it this way, who would you rather have saving your ass? Your brother/sister who is of equal rank and power or someone of lesser rank and power?" That shut them up.

"So what does this teamwork training consist of?" Bardock asked.

Gohan grinned, "For you Bardock, it's different yet again, but for the rest. They'll first start off sparing against those they are going to be paired with." This made eyebrows rise. Actual training, the way saiyans had expected it to be like from the beginning.

Bardock frowned, "Why is it different with me?"

"Because you don't need to spar with your partners."

"You mean my crew?"

Gohan nodded affirmatively, "The reasoning behind the spars is to get you used to the styles, techniques and moves of your partner(s). This is so that you will know instinctively what they'll do next and will know best how to formulate an attack that would take greatest advantage of what they are doing. You, Bardock, and your crew don't need to do that since you've already been together for years and are as familiar with each others fighting style as one could possibly be. This is also why you aren't doing team training right away. Instead I'm going to teach you some combat techniques that I think may be useful. This is actually the third phase of the training but I'm changing it into the second for you until the rest of your team have mastered the basics."

Bardock nodded, happy that he wouldn't be sitting on his ass doing nothing. The thought of learning combat techniques was almost as exciting as fighting itself, almost. Suddenly he frowned, "Surely that can't be all there is to team training." He stated.

Gohan nodded, "It isn't, but you don't need to know the rest of it yet." He turned to Vegeta and Karreth, "You two will spar against one another at the far end of the room. I'll erect a barrier with my energy between you and the rest so that a stray blast won't hit them while they're meditating. The sounds will though, which will also make it more difficult for them to learn these abilities. But once learned, it'll be much easier to utilize them during combat."

Vegeta muttered to himself, "I still can't believe I have to take orders from a third class warrior!" He muttered to himself.

Karreth smiled at him sweetly, "Oh Vegeta, you can't go around calling him a third class warrior anymore." She said in a pleased tone.

Vegeta glared at Karreth, "You didn't…"

Karreth had a huge grin on her face as she replied, "Oh yes I did. Both Gohan and Bardock are considered saiyan elites. It's hardly fair to call them anything less considering they're both more powerful than we are. I've changed the old system. No longer will one be born with rank, one must earn it now. It is, of course, to subjugate children to this system so they are considered the same as their parents until they come of age where they shall then be tested and placed accordingly within the saiyan hierarchy." Vegeta's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Karreth had just turned the entire saiyan hierarchy upside down and gave it a good thrashing. "Of course, we are exempted from this rule. We do have the benefit of being of royal blood in addition to our power any children we produce with our spouses will always have their place at the top, regardless of their power."

Vegeta glared at Karreth, "Thank Kami you haven't totally let go of your senses! I was beginning to think falling in love with Gohan had turned your brains into mush!" He spat out. Several pairs of eyes turned and glared at Karreth. There were now more than a few jealous females in the room.

Gohan sighed and stepped between the two. "Now is not the time for verbal fights, you two. Get over there and beat the shit out of one another. I still have to get Bardock started on some new techniques!" He said as he gestured to the far end of the room with his right hand and at Bardock with his left. Vegeta grumbled a bit but Karreth merely smiled and dragged Vegeta along behind her. Gohan was less than pleased. He had known of Karreth's emotional state but he had kept ignoring it hoping that she'd just leave him alone and find someone else. Unfortunately it was only making her think he was playing hard to get.

He was not sure how he was going to deal with this. He had already laid it to her gently that he didn't want her. All that was left was to give in, or shout at her. The first of which he wasn't going to consider and the second he had a feeling would only make her want him more, knowing how saiyans respond. Gohan turned his back to Vegeta and Karreth and addressed the remaining saiyans.

"I want you all to continue your training. Ignore Vegeta and Karreth, and just think that the sooner you finish learning these basic skills, the more quickly you'll be able to start…" Gohan halted and changed what he said, "Paying me another visit Kibitoshin?" Gohan asked the thin air.

Kibitoshin materialized before him with a broad grin on his face. "I'm here for more than just a visit Gohan." He replied, obviously pleased with something. "That someone I mentioned earlier… Well that person is about to arrive, much sooner than anticipated but than again, considering who it is I'm not really surprised all that much." He said.

Gohan smiled, "Do you know where this, person, will be arriving?" He asked.

Kibitoshin grinned, "Oh yes, right above the palace, a few meters above some of the landing pads. I had to redirect the course of the ship but it wasn't really that big of a problem, I did have help after all."

Gohan nodded and turned to see that both Karreth and Vegeta were listening attentively to what was being said. With a sigh Gohan beckoned them to follow. They would be more curious as to who this mystery person was than they would be interested in fighting. They were, after all, informed that this being was strong just like Gohan. "Bardock, come with me. Computer, set gravity to eight times Vegeta gravity. I want the rest of you to keep on training your minds. You'll find out sooner or later who this person is, and I'm sure you're all want to be able to start sparing as soon as possible." Gohan said in a commanding tone.

Kibitoshin's smile grew wider at this. Things were working out just fine.

As the five left the room Vegeta stretched and smiled; "Now you can't order me around Gohan!" Vegeta declared happily.

Karreth smacked him across the back of the head, "He can't, but I can. Besides, it wasn't that bad taking orders from him. I kind of enjoyed it, not as if he made us do anything unreasonable."

Vegeta glared at Karreth, "Of course you enjoyed it! You want a man who can push people around! You'd have enjoyed it much more if he'd snuck into your bed each night as well!"

Karreth shrugged, not denying it one bit. Gohan simply put his hand into his face and groaned. Bardock patted his grandson awkwardly on the shoulder before whispering into his ears, "I don't see why you just don't take her right now. She's more than willing." Gohan only groaned louder. Kibitoshin laughed silently. If Gohan thought it was bad now, he was going to be in for one hell of a ride later on.

It wasn't long before they reached the landing platform that Kibitoshin had said the new arrival would appear. The landing pad was like many of the others, although it was slightly larger than the ones used for regular space travel.

"Karreth…" Gohan began, drawing her attention to him, or rather to what he was saying as her attention was generally always focused on him. "Have any additional gravity chambers begun to be created?" He asked.

That wasn't really what she wanted to hear, but she knew she was going to have to wait and pull some rather drastic measures if she wanted to hear what she wanted. "Yes, but I'm not just handing them out. If my people want them, and they do, they'll have to purchase them, or offer something of equal value." Gohan gave her a look but she just shrugged in response. "They're being distributed. They're just the basic design, like what you showed us as the prototype. My people seem to think that having one is essential, like breathing and eating. They're getting out there, and I'm making a huge profit from this."

Gohan sighed but he couldn't fault her. She did have an empire to run, and running one wasn't cheap.

"Hush now, he comes."

_He?_ Thought Gohan as he followed the supreme kai's gaze into the sky.

Sure enough, not moments later there was a burst of light in the sky not far above them. When the light dimmed down a ship was revealed, a ship that answered some questions, but caused even more to arise. The ship was painted yellow and black with four engines pointed downwards. The number 1 was painted onto each engine and a clear see through canopy enclosed the top of the machine. What gained Gohan's attention was the passenger. There was no need for there to be a name or make on the machine as it was one of a kind. It was a time machine, and its driver: Mirai Trunks.

"What is HE doing here?!" Gohan yelled in surprise. He wasn't upset, no far from it; he was just shocked to his core. To see such a familiar face was a warm welcome to him. This wasn't any offence to Kibitoshin, but having someone closer to his own age that's gone through similar experiences as him is a much better companion.

"Gohan, you know…" Karreth started.

"Shhh. He lands." Kibitoshin hushed her.

As the time machine slowly settled onto the landing platform the canopy slowly opened to reveal a very confused young man, confused and battered. As Trunks slowly stood he surveyed his surroundings and immediately decided he was most definitely not where he wanted to be, either that or he missed his target time by several centuries. The structures that rose up all around him were far more advanced than anything he had ever seen before.

_Alright_, Trunks thought, _this is NOT where I want to be… what is going on here?_ He stopped mulling this over in his head as he noticed several people staring at him from below. With one single fluid move Trunks placed his hand onto the side of the machine and vaulted over the edge to land beside it. _Alright, who do we have here? Trunks thought as he looked the people over. There's a big, tall purple guy with a wild white mohawk. Ok, freaky, let's move on. There's someone that looks very much like Goku but is so weak I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but wait. He looks a little different, a relation? Ok, this is getting weirder. Let's see, next is… my father who looks like he's no more than eight years old… Alright, a chibified father, great, just what I wanted to see…_ he thought sarcastically, almost dreading what who he would see next. _Alright, it can't REALLY get much worse. Alright, that's not too bad, just some strange girl with a tail that seems to be attracted to Gohan like a magnet… wait, what the hell…_ "Gohan!?" Trunks thought aloud.

"Hi" Gohan responded as if people popping out of thin air in time machines were a normal occurrence.

"Hi?! Wh-What the hell is going on here?!" Trunks exclaimed, latching onto the one person he hoped he knew hoping that Gohan knew why he was there.

"Not much, weather seems to be pretty nice. I thought we'd all just stroll out here and see who might decide to drop by on this fine day." Gohan replied.

Trunks shook his head, "I must have gone to the wrong timeline! Damnit, my machine doesn't have enough fuel to get there!" Trunks cursed.

Gohan shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Trunks, but there is only one timeline now, and unfortunately, both you and I are stuck in it."

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked, more than a little upset.

"I'm not too sure on everything myself. I am from the same timeline you helped save from the androids, but unfortunately neither of us are in that timeline. I don't know why you're here but I know that I was forcefully thrown here by a being more powerful than the supreme kai." Gohan revealed.

"The supreme kai?"

Gohan nodded and jerked his thumb towards the tall purple dude, "Yes, he's the supreme kai. He knows more than me but refuses to reveal anything. He can be quite the bastard at times. I'm kind of curious as to why you're here." Gohan asked.

"Well…" Trunks started, "I was attempting to go back in time to warn you about another creature that would appear but when I tried something went wrong. The machine registered invalid for the coordinates I put in, despite them being valid previously. I was trapped in time for quite some time before I was finally able to input coordinates that the computer would accept. By that time I didn't care where I ended up but I was hoping I would still manage to come at least near where I wished to be. I guess I'm a little off."

Gohan nodded, "Yes, you've arrived decades before your previous sojourn through time and landed in a different timeline, or rather the true timeline. I'm not entirely positive myself but apparently when I was removed from my timeline, all the others merged into one, the one that should have existed, and then I was dropped back into it afterwards and here I am, attempting to save the race that should have died weeks ago."

"The saiyan race…" Trunks said breathlessly as he looked around, everything was began to click for him, the difficulty in traveling through time, the strange surroundings, all the saiyans, a chibified father.

Gohan smiled, "Yes, it's great that you're here as well. It just means I won't have to worry nearly as much about the upcoming battle."

Trunks sighed and lifted his eyes upwards, "Why am I not surprised?" He looked at Gohan and shook his head sadly as a feeling of nostalgia came over him, "Gohan, you have no idea how much you look like my mentor. You look identical to him, aside from the tail at least."

Gohan grinned, "Well, I've changed a bit I suppose." Gohan blinked a moment before he smiled again, "Oh yes, I should probably make introductions. I already introduced the supreme kai, Kibitoshin. The man beside him, who looks so much like my father, is actually my grandfather, Bardock. The person beside him needs no introduction, you know who he is. And the woman standing beside me is Vegeta's elder sister, Karreth."

Trunks' face scrunched up, "I never knew Vegeta had a sister."

Gohan shrugged, "Neither did I, not until I landed here anyways."

Vegeta's face, by this time, had gone into a deep scowl, "Gohan! Who is this man! He's most definitely not a saiyan, and if he's not a saiyan how can he possibly be of any aid to us!" Vegeta demanded.

Gohan sighed, "You're an idiot Vegeta, use your brain and stop judging people based on appearances. Why don't you use your new found skill and compare his power level to everyone else." Gohan replied.

Vegeta glared at him but did as he was told. He really did not like Gohan, mostly because it always appeared as if Gohan was ordering him around and he couldn't refuse as his orders made perfect logical sense and, had he kept his head clear, he would have done himself. As he sensed Trunks' power his eyes slowly widened in surprise. Karreth's and Bardock's eyes also widened. While Trunks may not be as powerful as Gohan, he was easily a thousand times stronger than Bardock.

Gohan smirked as he saw their eyes widened. "Trunks… show them what it means to be super." Gohan asked.

Trunks grinned, it wasn't often that he could impress his father and he wanted to take advantage of it, even if it was a baby version of him. At Gohan's words the other three stared at him in surprise, not believing what they were hearing. Kibitoshin started to openly laugh at the expression on the saiyans faces.

Trunks however hadn't noticed. He hunched down for a moment and began to yell. A massive gust of wind suddenly billowed out from the purpled haired saiyan as he began his ascension to the first level of super saiyan. A blinding golden aura erupted around him as the building began to shake. Small cracks began to appear within the outer walls of the palace and on the platform. The Bardock and the other two had shifted their sight to Trunks the moment he began to power up, their eyes widening even further.

With a loud yell Trunks quickly ascended, causing his hair to flash yellow and his eyes teal causing a massive shockwave to blast outwards nearly knocking the three weaker saiyans to the ground, but he wasn't finished. A smile graced Gohan's face as he saw what happened next. Trunks' body arched back as an even greater shockwave rippled out of his body, completely destroying the time machine and the landing platform the were all standing upon. Everyone was forced to levitate to hold their position; no one noticed the platform crash into the city below, no one cared. Everyone within the immediate vicinity had their eyes glued to Trunks as, for the first time in 3,000 years, a super saiyan appeared on planet Vegeta, but not just an ordinary super saiyan, one that had gone beyond that level to the level that Gohan had been forced into by Cell. It was a level that gave its possessor the power to crush an entire solar system with a flick of his wrist.

Trunks stopped yelling and leaned forward as lightning crackled up and down his body. His face had grown cold, hard and expressionless. His jade eyes were harder than diamond as he surveyed those before him, a laughing supreme kai, a smiling Gohan, and three bug eyed saiyans.

"Very nice Trunks, you've hit the next level. How did this happen?" Gohan asked happily. This would only make the battle to come all that much easier.

Trunks glared at Gohan, "It cost the life of my mother, and what was left of humanity!" Trunks snapped.

Gohan nodded sympathetically, "Ah yes, I forgot, this level is different than the others. It's the only level that requires an extreme amount of pain and sorrow to attain." Gohan answered, "I'm sorry about their deaths… I too have just recently lost everyone and everything." Gohan whispered just loudly enough for the others to hear.

Trunks nodded and his expression softened a touch. "A fat piece of chewed up bubblegum destroyed what was left of my people…" Trunks said, bitterness giving his voice a sharp edge.

Gohan nodded, "Yes… Majin Buu…" Gohan said, feeling his pain.

"You know him?"

Gohan nodded, "Yes, I guess that was the creature you wished to warn us about… We fought him and won, but it cost so much. He destroyed Earth and everyone on it before he was finally killed by my father and yours on the planet of the kais with a Genki Dama."

The two bowed their heads in silent remembrance of those that were now lost forever.

"I-Is this what a super saiyan looks like?" Bardock asked breathlessly.

Gohan frowned at him before remembering that he never did see the profile. "Yes, although Trunks ascended to a level beyond just the regular form, just call it super saiyan 2 for simplicity. There is another level, but we'll address that issue should Trunks, or anyone else, reach that level."

"This is impossible!" Vegeta declared, clearly pissed off. "How can he be a super saiyan! HE'S NOT A SAIYAN! He has no tail, his hair isn't black, he doesn't act like one, well he is now but wasn't before!"

"He's a hybrid Vegeta." Gohan said.

"What?!" He yelled.

"A hybrid, I'm a human/saiyan hybrid." Trunks answered. "I am the product of a saiyan mating with a human."

"But only royalty has the blood of the super saiyan running through their veins!" Vegeta protested.

"Well, that makes things rather clear cut doesn't it Vegeta?" Gohan said with a smirk. "I can assure you, Trunks is NOT my brother, tell me who does his face remind you of?"

They all peered at Trunks intently for a moment before Karreth gasped aloud drawing their attention away from him to her, "You're not saying!"

Gohan laughed, "Oh yes I am. It's quite apparent that Trunks is from the future, he's from forty or fifty years in the future, in a timeline were only three full blooded saiyans survived to mate. One was you Karreth, and you had one child before you died, Videl. Another was my father, Kakkarot, who had me and my little brother Goten… that only leaves one other possibility…" Gohan trailed off, letting this information sink in.

Vegeta's eyes began to widen in horror as the realization slowly sank in.

"What's wrong father?" Trunks asked as he stared at Vegeta coldly, "Dislike knowing your future son was going to be a hybrid?" Trunks said in a tone so much like Vegeta's that it erased all doubts about his ancestry.

Vegeta just gaped at Trunks; words simply would not form, not that his mind was in any shape to form coherent words.

"One thing you need to realize is that saiyan hybrids are far, far more powerful than full blooded saiyans." Gohan said. "That's how I became as powerful as I did. I too, once, was a hybrid. But because of an old supreme kai's ability to release that which was hidden within me my saiyan genes took full dominance over my body and transformed me into a pure saiyan, but not before assimilating the best qualities my human ancestry had to offer." This drew several more startled looks. "Saiyan genes are extremely picky when it comes to mating outside their species. They are only compatible with a select few races, and even then they will only accept specific parts of the genome code of those races, or in other words, genetic abilities that would make the being stronger."

Karreth looked over at Gohan before a wide smile creased her face. She slowly floated to his side and gently touched a hand to his face. "If hybrids are superior to saiyans, does this make you, a full blooded hybrid saiyan, superior to even them?" She asked hopefully.

Gohan shrugged, "I believe so, but it's not something that can truly be tested. I am, however, far stronger than a super saiyan 3, and may still have the capacity to go transform yet again, although I think it would be referred to as Super Mystic Saiyan rather than just Super Saiyan." Gohan replied.

Karreth smiled at him sweetly and rubbed her tail across his left arm before she floated away several feet. "I see." Was all she said in response. She was fully aware of the effect that had on Gohan.

"I take it you've gone through some changes of your own Gohan." Trunks said.

Gohan nodded, "Yes, and now I'm training the best this race has to offer so that they can be prepared for the onslaught that is about to come. I wish to make your father, his sister and my grandfather all super saiyans before the Aeesu-jins arrive."

Trunks smirked, "More like Frieza and Cold? I wouldn't mind tearing into more of them, need any help?" Trunks asked.

Gohan smirked right back, "Not really, I can take them alone, but I'd rather keep the saiyan casualties low so yes, I could use your help, perhaps you could even aid me in training them. You knew all your fathers techniques from the future. I could use you to teach them to him." Gohan looked over at Vegeta, "You don't mind your 'son' helping you out do you?" Gohan asked.

Vegeta shook his head numbly, it still wasn't functioning properly yet. He was intelligent for his age, but he was very young. Too much to quickly easily overwhelmed his mind.

"Well, with that settled I think we should head back to the gravity chamber and get back to work." Gohan said happily. He turned to Trunks, "I don't think I'll need your help today as the majority of the saiyans I'm training are still trying to master the art of ki sensing and concealing. Perhaps you could explore the planet today? I'll meet you later tonight above the palace and I can take you to Karreth so we can discuss sleeping arrangements."

Trunks nodded, "Yes, I need time to sort through everything. I'll be back when the sun dips below the horizon." Trunks said as he dropped out of his super saiyan state and back to normal. "I'll be seeing you." He said as he waved and blasted off to explore the planet.

"Well, that was certainly an amusing conversation." Kibitoshin said finally. "I'll take my leave as well Gohan. I just came here to inform you of Trunks' arrival and to watch the chaos that would ensue because of it…" His voice trailed off as he disappeared.

Gohan turned to the others and smirked, "Well, shall we head back? We have much training to do and, unfortunately, not much time to do it in." He said.

Karreth smiled and grabbed her brother and dragged him into the palace with Gohan close behind and Bardock taking up the rear. When they made it back a few of the saiyans had learned how to fully detect others while Celipa had come close to mastering how to hide her ki.

The next two weeks were filled with intensive training. A couple days after the first week had gone by everyone had learned the basics and Trunks had joined them in the gravity chamber. At first he didn't do much, but after the first week he was busy teaching others about the finer points of energy manipulation as well as some basic, yet extremely versatile techniques like the kienzan and the makenkosappo. Gohan taught Bardock the famous kamehame technique and Karreth his own personal technique, the masenko. Vegeta didn't learn any of these but was instead learned from trunks how to fire the big bang and final flash attacks that Vegeta favored later on in life. Other techniques and fighting styles were taught to the assembled saiyans but Bardock, Vegeta and Karreth learned the majority, and each learned one big technique, or in Vegeta's case two, that were not taught to anyone else.

By the end of the third week the gravity setting had been placed on twenty, exceeding the maximum limit that Gohan's father had trained at on his way to Namek although many were capable of going beyond this, and did late at night while the others were sleeping. There was, however, one thing that was causing Gohan more than a little concern. Neither Vegeta, Bardock and Karreth had attained the level of super saiyan, even though they all had the required base power to do so, Vegeta just barely. They were all as strong as his father was when he fought Frieza, without the kaio-ken anyways and it was at this point that he knew drastic measures had to be taken.

That's when he devised several plans to help them along their way.

"Alright Trunks, that's enough." Gohan said as he powered down.

"You finished already Gohan?" Trunks retorted, a large smirk on his face. He was a super saiyan two and had been fighting with Gohan for half an hour to show the gathered saiyans a few new tricks.

Gohan shrugged, "I don't feel like totalling this place. We've demonstrated a couple of new attacks and counters, it's time that they practice what they've seen." Gohan said as he turned his back to Trunks to face the others. "Now, I want you to…" Gohan stopped and whirled around as he sensed a massive energy blast form behind him, "Trunks WHA?!" Gohan suddenly screamed in agony as the blast ripped through his body. Normally Gohan would have been able to shrug the blast off like it was nothing, but he had never expected Trunks to backstab him.

"T-Trunks…" Gohan gasped out as he fell backwards and crumpled onto the floor, a huge hole in his chest where the majority of his internal organs were visible, or what was left of them. Blood gushed out and spread out in a deep pool to either side of the fallen saiyan. "W-w..h…y…." Gohan's voice trailed off as his eyes glazed over in death. A deep silence filled the room as shock and horror spread throughout everyone

"GOHAN!" A scream shattered the silence as Karreth rushed forward to cradle Gohan's dead body in her arms. Tears were freely streaming down her face and for once, Vegeta couldn't fault her. To die like that was quite possibly the worst way for a saiyan to go. Betrayal of a saiyan by one of its own was virtually unheard of and was punished by a long and painful death.

"So even the mighty will fall when their guard is down, how pitiful." Trunks said in a cruel voice, still fully powered up.

Karreth glared up at him, rage burning in her eyes. "WHY! HOW COULD YOU! YOU COWARD, HE TRUSTED YOU AND YOU BETRAYED HIM!" She roared. She was completely infuriated. The others weren't that far behind her in voicing their own disapproval. Bardock, along with many females, were almost as enraged as Karreth.

"Whatever gets the job done." Trunks said with a laugh. "Now I am the strongest, and I can take what I want! I think I'll take you, and the throne." He replied.

All coherent thought flew from Karreth's mind as rage blazed through her mind and body. With a scream that was to high pitched to be heard rippled through the room as she blazed into light and lunged at Trunks. As she drew near she lashed out with a fist ablaze with a golden aura holy to be knocked out of the air and brought back to the ground. She howled like a banshee as she clawed at her captor in an attempt to get at Trunks.

"Calm down Karreth! What are you trying to do? Rip my face to shreds?" Gohan inquired.

Karreth's body went rigid at the sound of his voice. She slowly turned her head to regard the person holding her to come face to face with a very scratched up Gohan. She looked down at the ground where the corpse of Gohan once was only to find it gone. As realization settled in, so did her mind as her rage drained from her system. The next thing she noticed were the arms that were around her. Gohan had both his arms wrapped around her body in his attempt to keep her from attempting to harm Trunks. Then she noticed just how close her face was to Gohan's.

"You're alive?" Karreth asked, still slightly confused as to what exactly had occurred. Gohan closed his eyes and grinned, only to feel Karreth's lips seal around his own. Gohan's eyes opened and widened as he quickly broke the embrace and jumped away.

"What was that for?" Gohan demanded, "I said no flirting or anything in here!"

"I wasn't!" She said as she batted her eyes innocently, "I was just making sure you were alive and real!" She said with a small smile.

"Yes, right, I'm sure!" Gohan muttered to himself. He looked over at Trunks, "It appears to have worked." He said.

Trunks nodded, "Yes, I'm quite pleased with the results as well."

Karreth looked between the two confused for a moment. With a growl she pointed a finger at Trunks and was about to yell at him for hurting Gohan when something caught her attention. Her arm was glowing gold. "Wha…" She began.

Trunks grinned, "Welcome to the super saiyan club." He said with a laugh.

Karreth's eyes widened as realization of why everything happened the way it had. A soft smile graced her lips for a second before it disappeared and a smirk took its place. She looked over at her brother and her smirk grew wider. "Why my dear brother, it appears as if I've ascended before you. I guess my baby brother just doesn't have what it takes." She said with a laugh, causing Vegeta's face to grow dark.

Trunks nodded, "Yes, I quite agree. Gold suits you much better than it ever did him. He never was a very good super saiyan, was always being beaten into the ground despite the transformation." Trunks said with a dramatic sigh.

Gohan laughed at Vegeta, "Ah yes, I remember those times. He made a mockery of the legendary transformation more than anyone else; he never did anything right with it."

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta yelled, extremely pissed. "How DARE you speak to me like that!" He roared.

Gohan shrugged, "Truth hurts short. Your stature is a sign of your power, low, small, and insignificant." Each word hit Vegeta like a blow causing his anger to raise several notches each time. "The ultimate transformation is just a waste on you; it's not as if you'll ever do anything with it. You'll simply get your ass handed to you time and time again."

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta roared as he pointed a finger at Gohan. There was so much anger building up in Vegeta that his entire body was vibrating because of it. "I AM THE PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS!"

"Not if I mate with Karreth, you'll be a simple lowly noble, not even royalty anymore." Gohan said as he issued a fake yawn. Karreth, although she knew what was going on and that it was all an act like it was with her, wished that that last part was true. "Hmm, what was it again that Karreth needed to completely attain the throne? Ah yes, she needed to mate with someone and produce a suitable heir." Gohan said to himself, nodding with each word. One thing about turning a saiyan super was that it required a huge amount of rage, and rage greatly impaired judgment. If Vegeta, or Karreth, had been thinking properly at the time of ascension they more then likely wouldn't have become super because they would have realized it was all just a ploy. Gohan arched an eye at Karreth and gave her his best smile, "I don't suppose you could make a little time for just the two of us?" He inquired.

Her heart skipped a beat and fell like a stone. She wished so much that this was real but she knew otherwise but it wouldn't stop her from letting it last as long as possible. Karreth's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before they closed and opened once more. "Sure Gohan." She said, a smile on her face, "Any time you wish for me, just let me know, and I will be there." She replied as she stepped forward. She, unlike Gohan, was completely sincere with her words.

Gohan stepped forward as well and met up with her. He gently cupped her face and smiled into her eyes before a grin spread across his face, "How about right now? The woman's dorm can be locked, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we spent an hour in there together." He said as he bent forward slightly. "I'm sure that's more than enough time for us to conceive a child."

Karreth felt like her heart was going to explode and collapse at the same time. She wanted this so badly, and yet knowing it was all fake was almost unbearable. As it was Karreth's voice was more than just a little breathy as she replied, "Sure Gohan, I would love to bear your child." She replied as she bent forward to give Gohan his second kiss of the day. Gohan didn't protest, he felt that she deserved at least that much after the torture he knew she must be going through at that moment.

As Vegeta watched them kiss he saw his hopes and dreams of becoming King come crashing to the ground, shattering into millions of pieces. It was at that point that he gave up, he simply didn't care anymore, and that's when it happened. All his bottled emotions came boiling up and overwhelmed him, engulfing him in a pillar of golden light, a light that slowly dimmed to reveal a super saiyan.

Gohan broke away from the kiss and quickly stepped back from Karreth, much to her disappointment. She had almost held hope for a moment that he had finally given in, but she knew better. He had made his intentions quite clear weeks earlier, but it didn't stop her from longing for him. Many of the other females in the room breathed a sigh of relief when they realized it was all just an act to bring Vegeta up to the same level as Karreth.

Gohan approached Vegeta and put a hand on his head. "It's ok Vegeta." Was all he said before he turned and went to stand beside Trunks.

Moments later Vegeta snapped out of his chaotic mental state to see both Gohan and Karreth in the room, and not in the dorm making love to each other. Then several things clicked together and he felt embarrassed. He, the prince of all saiyans, had been tricked moments after he had seen his sister tricked. It was humiliating to say the least but as he looked down at himself and noticed the sudden change, the massive increase in power he realize that it was worth it. He would have gladly suffered any amount of humiliation if it allowed him to become a saiyan of legend, and he had become just that.

Vegeta smirked over at Gohan, "Heh, you are one sly saiyan Gohan." Vegeta said, for once actually complimenting him instead of insulting. This alone was enough to shock everyone in the room to their core. Vegeta complimenting someone was almost as scary and unusual as him apologizing.

"Uh, Vegeta… you feeling alright?" Gohan asked, truly scared. Now he had heard everything.

"Never felt better!" Vegeta said as he laughed, flexing his muscles at the same time. "This power is finally mine! I have attained the destiny my father promised me I would one day have! I have become a super saiyan!"

Gohan shook his head, "Well whatever." He said, giving up on Vegeta. He was beyond hope at the moment. He turned to Bardock and sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "Heh, sorry about this Bardock, but I don't think I can do the same thing for you. First off you're far better at controlling your emotions and analyzing a situation then those two, and combined with being smarter you'd see through any ploy I create before you had built up enough rage to ascend."

Bardock smirked, "Don't worry about me Gohan. I know how it's done, and I can force myself to ascend any time I need to. I've also come to realize that the larger your base power level is when you ascend the larger your super saiyan power will be. It doesn't matter if I ascend now, or moments before the fight we will have with the Aeesu-jins. My power won't be any smaller or larger then it would be if I ascended now. At least if I stay at this level I am still able to train with my crew and not out class them in every way."

Gohan smiled, "Well, I'm glad to hear it." He said with a smile before he turned to address everyone. "Now that this little business with the super saiyan ascension has taken place we can hit the fourth phase of the training, and the last one." He said catching everyone's interest. "When fighting the Aeesu-jin you'll be fighting multiple enemies, possibly working alone, possibly in groups. What's more you'll be fighting in an environment where stray energy blasts are a common thing. So, from now until the time the Aeesu-jins arrive you will spar, but not with your partners, with everyone else. It's great that Vegeta and Karreth have ascended as it'll give you others a taste of what it'll be like to fight something out of your league and not worry about being killed by it. You will go with your partners and fight the other groups. Trunks and I will test Karreth and Vegeta, get them used to their new bodies, but don't think we won't pay you others a visit as well. If we see your team work slouching we'll personally beat you into the ground just so you realize how important it is. There won't be any barriers blocking you all, it'll be a mass team royal rumble. Do I hear any complaints?" Gohan asked.

There were absolutely none. This was what they lived for. They could have wished to fight by themselves and not rely on others, but after three weeks of training they were all beginning to understand just how important team work truly was, even Vegeta although he grumble and complained about it the entire time. They were more than willing to follow Gohan. He had provided them with power and abilities beyond their wildest imaginations. They were each now anywhere from fifty to a hundred times their previous strength. Nothing compared to Gohan and Trunks, but compared to the other saiyans, and even the Aeesu-jins, it was something to be feared. They had doubted his methods at first, but like he had promised, power had come with his teachings but more than just that, knowledge and tactics. Trunks and Gohan had lectured them while they had been training during the past two weeks. With Karreth and, surprisingly even Vegeta, giving a few words of advice at times. They were no longer mindless brutes that simply jumped into battles and lashed out their most powerful blasts in a hope to overpower the enemy. They were a group of warriors that would redefine what it means to truly be strong.

The next three weeks of training were intense, even for saiyan standards. Gohan added a little twist to the royal rumble halfway through the first week. He programmed the computer to randomly change the gravity settings at random intervals constantly making the saiyans in the gravity chamber be aware of not only their opponent and their surroundings, but the environment as well. During the first week of the royal rumble various groups and partners would at times break off as the saiyans fell back onto the habit of fighting alone when the fighting grew intense but after many beatings from either Trunks or Gohan that was quickly cured.

It was truly awe inspiring to watch the fights going on. It was like one massive intricate dance with a brilliant light show to go along with it. Energy blasts and waves ripped through the room so often that one was forced to watch their surroundings almost as much as their opponent. As for the hand to hand combat it looked more like an intricate dance than anything else. A dance that could easily kill any of the participants if even the slightest of mistakes was made. A dance that eyes alone could not follow. One had to feel their way through the dance or they would be overwhelmed. And in the midst of the dance, in the very center, three globes of golden light were almost always seen dancing around one another as they traded blows strong enough to shatter mountains.

Time seemed to fly for the saiyans fighting. The adrenaline rush that engulfed everyone gave them the energy to fight day and night and Gohan was forced at times to physically make people take a break. But after a short three weeks, three weeks that passed faster than the previous one had, Kibitoshin decided to drop by to pay another visit forcing a premature halt to the deadly dance that took place within the gravity chamber.

"They're coming aren't they?" Gohan asked, although there wasn't any reason to ask. He knew the answer. His question did alert everyone else though.

Kibitoshin nodded, "Are they ready?" He asked.

Gohan looked back at them, "As ready as they'll ever be. The weakest is as strong as Frieza in his second form, while the strongest non-super saiyan could match him in his third. I excluded Bardock as he said he can ascend and I've yet to sense how strong he can be. As for Vegeta and Karreth, they're both exceptionally strong. I'd say Vegeta is about half of Cold's maximum while Karreth is three quarters as powerful as he was."

Kibitoshin nodded, "Good, good, perhaps the saiyan race might survive this after all." He said, obviously pleased.

"Are you not going to help?" Gohan asked.

Kibitoshin shook his head, "It's not my place. One of the restrictions of being in my position. Unless it risks the safety of the entire universe, I am not allowed to directly interfere."

"Then you're useless!" Vegeta growled.

"Shut it Vegeta." Gohan snapped back, causing the prince to close his mouth. "He brought us important information." He turned back to the supreme kai, "Do you know when they'll arrive?"

"Yes, in two days time."

Gohan sighed, "Not much time to prepare everyone else…" Gohan said, "Thanks Kibitoshin." He said and the supreme kai nodded and disappeared. Gohan turned to the rest, "Well, your training has now been completed. I cannot control what you do when you leave here but I hope that you remember everything that you have been taught. You may be far stronger than any of the Aeesu-jin… but when you have to face several hundred at a time. You will become hard pressed to survive without someone guarding your back, which is why I've been stressing the importance of teamwork. Anyways, you're all dismissed. I don't want this place used between now and then. We all need to be at our fittest when they arrive. No point in training if we're exhausted when they arrive on our doorstep." He said.

The other saiyans nodded and began to file out of the room they hadn't left in over six weeks. They began talking amongst themselves about what they would do between now and the time the enemy would arrive. All of them were excited about the prospect of a battle of such magnitude.

Gohan stretched some kinks out his body as he twisted it back and forth. Trunks landed beside him, falling out of the second level of super saiyan and back into his normal form. The only saiyans left in the room were Karreth and Vegeta, along with him and Trunks. Bardock had left with his team, to supposedly live it up before the Aeesu-jins arrived.

"So what do you plan on doing now Gohan?" Karreth asked.

Gohan shrugged, "I really don't know, more than likely I'll just relax and meditate until they arrive. I still haven't regained my full strength so any sparring would do me little good regardless."

Karreth nodded, "I may join you tomorrow. I probably have so much paper work to do since I've spent so much time in here." She said sadly.

Vegeta smirked, "I'll do some of it." He offered, surprising the three of them.

"Why?" Karreth asked.

"If I'm going to win the position of King then I am going to need to know how to do some administrative work. Now is as good a time as any to start." He replied

She smiled, "Too proud to admit it, aren't you brother?" She said with a small laugh and started to leave the room. As she reached the door she looked back at Gohan. "Keep me informed on where you'll be meditating, I wish to join you tomorrow." Gohan nodded and she left with her little brother close behind.

Trunks glanced over at Gohan for a moment, "Why won't you accept her?" He asked quietly. After all the excitement of the past three weeks this quietness seemed out of place.

"Because she's not the one for me. It just feels so wrong…" Gohan replied.

"Is that really the reason? Or are you just saying it because you wish it to be true, because there is a different reason you wish to hide."

Gohan didn't say anything for a while. He just stared forward in deep contemplation. "It's because I am unsure… I feel as if my life is… branched. Not just the fork that usually occurs, but a multi-pronged intersection with many different ways of going and I'm not quite sure I wish to pick the one with her in it until I've at least had a feel for what the other branches may be like." He finally responded.

Trunks smirked, "Well, tell me what path you take Gohan! I'll take one of the others." He replied.

Gohan glanced over at him and started laughing. He didn't know why, maybe it was irony, maybe it was because he found it humorous, or perhaps it was something far different, far deeper. Whatever it was Gohan couldn't stop laughing. Trunks soon joined in pulled by the infectious sound, and perhaps finding a little humor in what he had said as well.

(FanFiction Sucks)

* * *

(FanFiction Sucks) 

Two days later, only minutes before the Aeesu-jin launch their first, and final, assault on the saiyan home planet of Vegeta…

"This is it!" Karreth yelled to out to the assembled saiyans. Nearly the entire race was sprawled out before her, and more than just a few from other species. Apparently the Aeesu-jins were despised around the universe. "This is the battle we've all been preparing for! They've come to wipe our race from the face of the universe but I'm not ready to die yet, and neither are you! We'll show not only these Aeesu-jins what saiyans are made of, but the entire universe! We shall now and forever be known as the greatest fighters to ever exist!" A loud roar erupted from the crowd as they all voiced their approval.

"There is no room for cowards in this battle!" Vegeta began after she finished. "If you wish to run with your tail between your legs, do so NOW! I will not tolerate anything less then your all! This is a battle for our very existence, and we will prove to all that we are the best, now and forever!" He roared generating yet another ear splitting roar from the crowd.

"This is where we show our true might! We have within our ranks the legendary super saiyans! We will not lose! We CANNOT lose! For we also have on our side a power that surpasses even that of the legendary super saiyans! Today a new legend will be born. A legend that will shake the universe to its core and reveal to all that the saiyan race knows no bounds to their power! The power of a mystic saiyan!" Karreth roared out and the crowd joined. No one questioned what she said, they all knew who she referred to, and none could dispute her.

"And here they come!" Gohan roared right after her. His hand rose to point skywards towards the huge mass of bodies plummeting towards them. "IT'S TIME TO MAKE OUR ENEMIES FEEL TRUE FEAR AND REALIZE THEIR FOLLY OF CHALLENGING THE MIGHT OF THE SAIYAN RACE!" His voice boomed across the planet. A moment later sonic boom rippled across the sky as Gohan shot upwards, directly into the greatest mass of Aeesu-jins. Moments later a massive battle cry arose from the gathered army as four beings sheathed in golden light shot after him, followed shortly afterwards by virtually the entire saiyan race.

As Gohan's body screamed through the air and into the massive hoard of Aeesu-jins his aura was so powerful that it alone ripped them to shreds as he passed them by, leaving a trail of dead and dieing screaming in his wake. He had a goal, he had sensed them coming along with the majority of the hoard. There was a group of several hundred Aeesu-jins that if left alone could cause a great deal of problem for the saiyans. They weren't quite as strong as Frieza but they came close and Gohan couldn't allow them to open fire on the saiyan army. He wanted to keep the casualties to a minimum, at least on his side.

With a loud shout he slammed into the foremost of the elite Aeesu-jins and literally began to render them limb from limb. Blood began to rain as their screams filled the air. Arms, legs, testicles, it didn't matter. If Gohan got a hold of it, you lost it. More than a few Aeesu-jins began to feel fear as they saw a lone saiyan literally tear the now most powerful of their race apart like they were nothing more than pieces of paper. But that wasn't all they had to worry about.

Massive waves of yellow and blue energy ripped through the masses of Aeesu-jins as the four super saiyans unleashed their most powerful attacks into the crowd, hoping to thin them out some. After the initial attack they Karreth and Vegeta darted forwards, side by side, and began to tear into the Aeesu-jins. They had nothing to worry about from them; their goal was to insure that their opponents had more important things to worry about than destroying the planet or tearing apart the weaker saiyans.

Bardock left the two to do their work and joined his crew as they blasted towards another part of the battle where their forces were getting mopped up by the far superior Aeesu-jin forces while Trunks was left to his own devices. Gohan's and Trunks' roles in this fight was to instill as much fear as possible into the enemy, to make them lose heart but, more important, to lose focus and make mistakes.

Trunks pointed his arms to either side of him making a cross, "**RENZOKOU KIKOU HA!**" Trunks shouted as he released thousands of energy blasts from his either hands. The blasts weren't very strong, or rather they weren't strong compared to the energy bombs and waves that Gohan and Trunks were truly capable of, but against creatures this weak a single blast was more than enough to tear the life from their body. What made the attack even more useful was their ability to heat seeks their target. Needless to say, the sky rained red that day.

Gohan in the mean time was having the time of his life. Bloodlust had consumed him and he was currently laughing gleefully as he tore through the last of the stronger Aeesu-jins. Those around him weren't sure what scared them more: The bloody, mangled limbs that hit them with the force of a speeding train, the speed at which their comrades were being torn apart, or that the one doing it was acting as if he was having the greatest time of his life.

The saiyans that Gohan had trained were not only holding their own, but instilling a bit of fear of their own. The Aeesu-jins couldn't touch them, or anyone near them. Whenever they attempted to attack a saiyan would be there to counter. When they tried to react to that, another saiyan would take advantage of the previous attack and score another hit on the Aeesu-jin, and what made it worse was that these attacks more often than not were powerful enough to cause fatal injuries with the first blow. Seeing a group of four saiyans practically dancing around one another tearing through a thick field of their own kind like it was effortless was enough to make one question the decision of coming here.

But this wasn't to say that the saiyans were completely holding their own. There were only so many supped up saiyans, and far too many places to be for them to cover them all. The saiyans and aeesu-jins were dieing at an equal rate. For each aeesu-jin that fell to Trunks' blasts or Gohan's maniacal slaughter a saiyan fell to an aeesu-jin at some other part of the battlefield.

As Gohan finished ripping the last of the strong Aeesu-jin he took a moment to survey the battle field. He knew the casualties would be high, regardless of all the training they went through, but at the rate at which both sides were being destroyed the saiyans would come out the victor. One thing the saiyans had upon their opponents was numbers. The saiyans out numbered them 10 to 1, but the Aeesu-jins were in general far, far more powerful.

Gohan raised both his hands to his forehead and concentrated, "**HANAHADASHII MASENKO-HA!**" Gohan roared as he shot his arms out to his sides. The modified version of the masenko-ha lashed out from either side of him and tore sickeningly huge rents into the enemy forces. They didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were instantly vaporized by the two huge energy waves the ripped through their ranks. Now fear really began to trickle into the minds of every Aeesu-jin.

Trunks, in the meanwhile, was annihilating his opponents just as easily as Gohan was, although he was a trifle more calm about it. As in he wasn't laughing like a maniac, he was merely going at it like they were bugs that had to be squashed. Another skull caved in as his fist slammed through it and continued on before opening up and unleashing a small wave of energy that ripped through several dozen enemies. Trunks paused for a moment to check his surroundings. The sky was filled with chaos. One could hardly move without running into someone or something. The sheer amount of energy being tossed around was frightening. He looked down and shook his head. So much for the city, it was currently being bombarded with so much energy he doubted there would be very much left afterwards.

The greatest trouble Trunks had was deciding exactly how to fight. He had spent his entire life fighting one or two extremely powerful creatures; he had never really fought countless of peons and it required an entirely new shift in battle styles. Massive energy blasts or bombs wouldn't work, especially since he had to protect his race, because there wasn't any single target to focus the attacks upon. He could only keep up a continuous barrage of low powered energy blasts for a short period of time before he ran into the problem of hitting his own people. Perhaps it was time for some experimentation.

Across the battlefield Vegeta and Karreth danced around one another in a brilliant display of yellow and blue light as punches and kicks powerful enough to shatter mountains and blasts capable of detonating planets shot out from them in nearly all directions. Every punch, each kick, that landed caused an Aeesu-jin to explode in a shower of blood and gore and every blast created an explosion that lit the sky up while it violently ended hundreds of lives.

Bardock just finished tearing an Aeesu-jin in half when Gohan suddenly appeared in front of him causing him to pause in mid fight.

"Bardock! Plan, create a power ball. Enough people have died to make it worth while." Gohan said quickly before disappearing just as an Aeesu-jin took a swing at him, a swing that was never completed as Celipa rammed her knee into his face crumpling the skull and throwing brain matter through the sky to join the ever increasing rain of gore.

Gohan reappeared in front of Trunks just as he finished shredding every Aeesu-jin within a hundred meter radius of him. "Trunks, Bardock is going to create a power ball, an artificial moon, I want you to protect it while the saiyans turn Oozaru." He quickly said.

Turnks' eyes widened at that thought. The Aeesu-jin barely had a chance of winning now; turning Oozaru would even out the power levels so that the average saiyan was on par with the average Aeesu-jin, and with the Aeesu-jin still out numbered more than 10 to 1… Trunks quickly nodded and disappeared to reappear near Bardock who had just thrown up the artificial moon. It appeared as if Gohan wanted this fight over with as soon as possible and with as little saiyan casualties as he could manage.

The bright flash of light that signaled the creation of the artificial moon caught everyone's attention. Bardock threw it as far up as he could and Trunks had followed it standing in front of it to prevent it from being destroyed. Trunks knew why he had been picked. He was the only saiyan without a tail; he was the only one who would be unaffected during the saiyan transformation. A transformation that would leave the ball extremely vulnerable. It would also leave the saiyans vulnerable but both Trunks and Gohan knew that it would save lives in the long run.

At first few knew what it was but realization quickly dawned on the saiyans as they felt the pull of the simulated full moon. It took a little longer for the Aeesu-jins to exactly figure out what the ball was meant to do, but once they noticed what was happening to the saiyans they were fighting panic immediately began to spread through them like wildfire. As Gohan predicted those closet to the ball attempted to destroy it but Trunks prevented it by not allow a single blast or enemy come within a ten foot radius.

Gohan, too, stared at the ball. He didn't need the power increase but he figured he might as well take it since it was there. Every other time Gohan had transformed into an Oozaru he hadn't been able to control it with the sole exclusion of the end of the last time when his father had been able to break through his emotions and allow Gohan to focus and control the form. Now he was positive he could take control from the very beginning.

One thing Gohan immediately noticed was that the transformation brought about an intense amount of rage, quite similar to a super saiyan transformation. This made Gohan smile, he was used to this, he knew he could control it but he frowned, suddenly worried about the rest. He seriously hoped that they would be able to control it, or at least exhibit enough control to focus their rage on the invading race.

The sky suddenly filled with millions of earth shattering roars as the entire saiyan race transformed into the huge ape like stage of Oozaru. The sky immediately began to darken as the huge hairy forms began to fill what little space there had been in the battlefield to begin with. More than a number Aeesu-jins simply died by being squeezed between two or more transforming saiyans. If the millions of transforming apes were scary enough, the sudden appearance of three golden apes, slightly smaller than the normal, but pumping out so much power that you didn't need to be able to sense energy to feel it, shook them to their core.

Suddenly, above all the roars, one roar was heard by all. It was so loud that the shockwaves created by the roar pushed away even the massive Oozaru forms around it away. This Oozaru was radically different from the rest. Where most of them were huge, they all had fat bellies and looked like they were in need of some serious dieting, this one, on the contrary, was far different. The hair was mostly black like the normal but streaks of silver rain throughout the hair giving it an elderly look. The classic red eyes had been replaced by eyes of silver but the greatest change was its physical structure. Unlike the others, it wasn't fat, it was muscular and the muscles showed even through the fur. What was more was that it easily dwarfed the other Oozaru, making them seem like children in comparison. Picture an enlarged Oozaru with silver streaks of hair with eyes of silver on steroids, and that is what Gohan had transformed into.

Gohan grinned. "Let the slaughter begin!" Gohan said in a deep voice that echoed across the battlefield. Millions of roars filled the air and blood didn't rain in drops, but in sheets. All hopes of victory for the Aeesu-jins disappeared the moment the artificial moon was created. Energy blasts weren't fired anymore, not by the saiyans at least, simply because they weren't need anymore. The Oozaru would just grab a limb and start pulling and the Aeesu-jin's bodies. Since there were generally four Oozaru per Aeesu-jin, each grabbing a limb, they didn't really have much of a chance. There would need to be a serious clean up job after this slaughter.

Only minutes after the transformations the Aeesu-jins began to flee. Fighting before was bad enough, but this was just suicide. The saiyans would have none of it. What before was a fight for survival was now a fight for who could get the highest body count. The Aeesu-jins thought they could flee, but with the increased power can increased speed, they couldn't get away. They had come to destroy all saiyan life forms, but in turn they themselves were the ones that were about to become extinct, and the saiyans would be damned if they would let anything stop them.

Trunks shook his head as he watched what progressed. It sickened him, but he knew it had to be done. The Aeesu-jins were a race that lived off the pain of others and if given the chance would have done the same to them. He had known from the beginning that only one race would survive this outcome, but he didn't have to like it. As Trunks thought more about it he realized it wasn't really the genocide that he had troubles with, it was how it was carried out. Watching millions of giant apes gleefully rip an entire race of people limb from limb was more than just a little disturbing.

And then it was over. As Trunks sensed the last Aeesu-jin die he reached out behind him and fired off a large kiai which shattered the artificial moon. With the artificial moon no longer in existence the saiyans began to transform back into their original state, all except one. Gohan still floated far above him in his massive Oozaru form. Trunks frowned, this could be a problem. As the last of the saiyans reverted back to their original form, Gohan floated down so that he was looking Trunks in the eye.

"Uh, Gohan, you're supposed to revert back to normal." Trunks said, trying to make it sound like there wasn't really much of a problem.

Karreth, Vegeta and Bardock soon joined Trunks, wondering just exactly why Gohan was still in his Oozaru form.

"Oh, sorry about that." Gohan said with embarrassment evident in his voice.

Trunks raised an eyebrow as Gohan still hadn't done anything. "Gohan… Why didn't you change back when the artificial moon was destroyed?" He asked.

Gohan shrugged, "I didn't want to."

Trunks sighed "It's a little difficult to fit through the doors when you're standing nearly a hundred feet tall." Trunks said lightly.

"He looks handsome like that though." Karreth said, eyeing Gohan up and down. Suddenly a thought popped into her head, "I wonder how big he is!" She gasped.

Gohan looked at Karreth like she was crazy, "What?! Is my body the only thing you can ever think about?" He exclaimed.

Karreth thought about it for a second before nodding happily, "Yes, pretty much. You make it rather difficult to think at all when you're around." She said with a smile.

Gohan groaned, it sounded like a rumble of thunder.

"Gohan, are you going to revert back to normal or do you plan on staying like that all day?" Trunks asked, getting slightly annoyed.

Gohan put a hand behind his head and scratched it sheepishly. Now this was a strange sight to say the least. A hundred foot supped up killing machine sheepishly scratching the back of its head with a silly grin on its face is not something that is easily pictured even on the best of days. "Well, you see, my clothes don't expand like the saiyan battle armor so… I'd rather wait until I have a set of clothes in front of me before I revert." He said in explanation.

Now this hadn't occurred to anyone. Suddenly visions of a naked Gohan popped up in the minds of virtually every female within hearing range and more than a fair share of drool joined the blood and gore on the ground below. Karreth's eyes had grown wide for a moment before they narrowed to slits and an evil grin appeared on her face. "Don't worry Gohan, I'll get your clothes for you, and then take you to a place where you can get dressed without every other female gawking at you." She purred and quickly blasted off to hopefully salvage one of Gohan's outfits from the ruined palace in the devastated city below.

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?" Gohan rumbled.

Trunks raised an eyebrow at Gohan, "I'd start running if I were you."

Gohan glared at Trunks, "Ha, ha, very funny, and where the hell am I supposed to go? I can't hide anywhere, except maybe in a volcano!" He snapped.

"You could always try." He said with a laugh.

Gohan lashed out smashing Trunks with a large fist sending him to the ground below. There was a massive explosion as a huge crater was formed. The gold light dimmed and disappeared as Trunks fell out of super saiyan. Gohan looked at his fist and cursed before he hurriedly dropped to the ground to see if Trunks was alright. He really didn't mean to do that. Guess he wasn't in complete control of his emotions.

"Sorry Trunks, I guess I'm still not in absolute control." Gohan said to the fallen form of his friend.

Trunks coughed a bit before he slowly sat up. "Argh, that hurt. When I get better, and you're back to normal, I'm going to kick your ass into the ground for that." Trunks grumbled.

Gohan laughed, "Sure, anytime." He replied.

"Gohan! You're not supposed to hit your best friend!" Karreth scolded him as she arrived with a set of clothing. It was a little rough and dirty but it was better than being naked.

"Hey! I already apologized, now can I have my clothes?" Gohan whined.

Karreth's frown changed into a smirk. "Sure, but you have to catch me if you want them!" She said and shot off through the sky, heading west.

Gohan growled in frustration and blasted after her, following her by the feel of her life force. Gohan quickly caught up but as he was about to grab her she dipped and dove towards the ground and landed in a tiny clearing and took off into the woods. With a growl Gohan reverted back to his normal form. With the fur gone his body was completely exposed but with the speeds they had been traveling at only Trunks, Vegeta and Bardock had any chance of getting to this place anytime within the next half hour so he figured he had enough time to chase her down before the hoards of lusting female saiyans came stampeding in.

He dove down into the clearing and completely hid his life force, almost dropping it into the negatives before he took up the chase again. One thing he had learned but decided not to reveal was the ability to hide ones power, but still have the ability to use it. If the others hid their power they weren't able to use it unless they revealed it first.

It wasn't very long until he caught up to Karreth. She had changed back to her base form and hid her power like him and was currently creeping slowly through the underbrush trying to stay as quiet as possible. If he hadn't been able to sense her still very low energy level he knew he'd have had a hard time finding her. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't nearly as skilled as Gohan and had no idea where he could be.

She didn't have to wait long though as she suddenly felt herself tumbling through the air as something tackled her from behind. She landed roughly upon the grassy floor of the forest. The canopy overhead completely blocked any sunlight from getting through. This forest was the one and only tropical forest that existed on the planet and it was protected almost as fiercely as the planet itself.

Karreth twisted around and pushed Gohan off her as she sat up into a sitting position and began to eye Gohan up and down, a smile on her face. She had seen him naked once before and ever since she had dreamed of seeing it again.

"Where are my clothes?" Gohan asked, not bothering to cover himself, Karreth had already seen him naked.

Karreth smiled and patted her stomach. Now that Gohan looked closely he could see that there was actually a large bulge under her battle armor. "Right here." She said with a smile.

Gohan gaped at her, "WHAT!? Come on, just give it back already!" He pleaded.

She shook her head, "I don't think so. If you want them, you're going to have to go digging." She said as she grinned at him.

Gohan just stood there shocked; he had to go get them himself? "This… this… THAT'S IT!" Gohan yelled as he pounced on her, surprising them both.

Karreth tried to fight him of half-heartedly. She didn't want to make it look as if she was just going to give it to him but she wasn't going to stop him if he actually went down for it. Gohan finally got a hand under her battle armor and moved it up to where the bulge was and his eyes widened again. "Its…" He trailed off.

Karreth laughed at the expression on Gohan's face, it was priceless. He hadn't counted it being under the spandex as well. Gohan set his face and pulled the armor off before reaching for the edges of the spandex. This went against everything Gohan had been brought up to believe but he really needed his clothes, and it's not as if Karreth was really all that unwilling in the first place. Karreth once again tried to wiggle away and bat his hands away but there wasn't much effort put behind them, and even that minimal effort ceased the moment his hands slipped under the fabric and touched her skin.

"Ugh… That feels nice." She gasped out as Gohan's hands caressed her breasts on their journey down her spandex. Gohan knew that which ever end he went down he would encounter something he'd rather not, so he choose the route that was the least embarrassing for him. As Gohan grabbed his clothes and began pulling them back something occurred to him. "How did you get this down there?" He asked incredulously.

She smirked, "Because it went up, not down. The holes at the top of my suit are too small while I'm in them, you'll have to either go from the bottom, or remove the top." She said.

With a growl Gohan jerked his hand out and gripped the two straps that went over her shoulders. She put her arms through them to help Gohan remove the top. As it slid down her breasts sprang out giving Gohan a clear view of them for the first time, and they were perfect. They looked like soft, delicate globes of flesh that felt very soft to the touch, yet were strong enough to not sag even the slightest.

When Gohan got it down far enough he quickly grabbed his clothes, pulled them out, and jerked them away so as to keep them from her reach, but she had no interest in them anymore. Karreth sat up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his. Gohan's eyes widened as he realized her game. This entire time, this was what she had been aiming for, and he'd fallen for it like a fool. Karreth's breasts were pressed almost flat into Gohan's chest giving him a very nice feel of them.

A moment later it was over as Gohan blasted backwards, putting as much distance as he could between him and… a laughing Karreth? That was not what he expected. He'd have thought she'd have been disappointed that more hadn't occurred.

"Your face was priceless Gohan! I love it, and the taste of your lips. I'll have you some day." She said with such certainty that Gohan seriously began to worry.

Karreth stood up and slipped her arms back into the spandex suit before she went over and recollected her battle armor. She turned back to him and flashed him a brilliant smile before she shot through the forest.

Gohan shook his head clear of nasty thoughts and quickly donned his clothes. He'd pass it off as nothing; he had to do it to get his clothes back. He'd have to remember to get a suit of saiyan battle armor, just in case he ever had to go Oozaru again. With one last look around the clearing Gohan also took off through the forest, following the path he took back to the clearing and out into open sky.

(FanFiction Sucks)

* * *

(FanFiction Sucks) 

Several hours later on planet Vegeta…

There was much celebration that night, and with good reason. They had just conquered perhaps the single greatest challenge they will ever encounter. Although it was a little saddening that they wouldn't be able to find anyone else to challenge, they still had each other to spar.

Gohan, however, wasn't celebrating with the others. He and Trunks were floating before the supreme kai, waiting for him to tell them what he wanted, although Gohan had a fairly decent idea as to what it was. The supreme kai hadn't bothered calling the other super saiyans over because, while they were strong, they were nothing compared to Majin Buu. Even Trunks was nothing more than an annoyance, he at least had the capability of doing some real damage.

Gohan had told Bardock that he and Trunks would be gone for a bit but that they would be back and to tell anyone who may have worried over their sudden disappearance.

"Gohan knows why I called the two of you here but I don't think you do Trunks. You came here because Majin Buu destroyed your world and you'll have your chance for revenge." The supreme kai said, making Trunks' eyes widen.

"So we're going to rid Majin Buu from this universe now, aren't we?" Gohan asked.

The supreme kai nodded, "Yes. I realize something now that I didn't before. If we had disturbed Buu before he was fully revived than his strength would have been halved, or reduced to a third of his maximum. Still too much for me to handle, well, it was too much for me to handle when I was just Shin but I do believe now I have the strength to beat him, but to make sure I am taking you two along with me. Gohan, you have the strength to take him down alone, but with me and Trunks to back you up it should be like a walk in the park, even if he somehow reawakens at full strength."

Trunks cracked his knuckles, "Good, I want to give that pink blob of chewed up bubble gum a piece of what I think of him!" Trunks growled.

The supreme kai smiled, "Good, good, we go." He said as he placed his hands on their shoulders and disappeared.

A couple seconds later they reappeared in a grassy vale, fifty feet above the ground, on Earth.

Gohan breathed in deeply, "I've missed this smell so much." Gohan said with a broad smile on his face. Even though he wasn't going to be here long, just this brief moment was enough to revitalize his spirits. Perhaps, when this was all over, he could come back and settle here once more. Vegeta was alright, but it didn't hold the quality that this planet did. Gohan doubted there was a planet in the universe that could make him feel this happy by just being on it.

"The ball of Buu is directly below us, about ten kilometres down." The supreme kai stated.

Gohan nodded and lifted a hand above his head. Gohan powered up a large energy blast as Trunks began his ascension to the second level of super saiyan. With a shout Gohan brought his hand down and fired the blast straight at the planet. The energy bomb ripped through the turf and began to dig its way towards the core, where it could very well reach if Gohan had wanted it to. But after it had gone down ten kilometres he mentally commanded it to explode.

A massive earthquake shook the ground as the blast continued to work its way upwards. It could have just as easily blown down but the pressure and heat took the route of least resistance, or in this case through the hole it had originally created. Suddenly all hell broke lose as the explosion ripped through the turf widening the hole from just a few feet in diameter to over a kilometre wide. The explosion was weak compared to what the three floating above could take but that wasn't really saying much.

Legends would be created afterwards. The huge explosion and bright lights drew the unwanted attention of many people. The fight that occurred almost immediately afterwards was spoken of often and forever after only in hushed tones and with words of awe and fear. It was said that three godly beings, sheathed in the light of good and justice battled against a pink demonic monstrosity in the skies above the crater what was then referred to ever after as Demon's fall, for that is where the demon fell to never rise again.

It was said that the powers wielded in the skies above were capable of destroying entire worlds. Each time the demon attempted an attack, tried to counter, or run, it was met by one of the God's and justice was exacted upon its body. The battle appeared to last an eternity for those watching below, but it was brief for those who fought. The monster quickly grew tired, unable to heal its wounds as the powers of the gods wrecked havoc upon its body.

But it was the final attack, the ultimate technique that would have people forever trying to imitate and recreate, that stuck in the hearts and minds of all those that witnessed the battle. Two of the Gods joined into one and an attack was born that was said could rend time and space itself. The words that echoed through the wind were merely the prelude to the end.

"**FINAL KAMEHAME-HA!**" Roared through the skies as a beam that combined both the power of good and the power of justice tore through the demonic monstrosity, forever ending the threat it posed against the universe.

And with a final flash of light the Gods were gone, returned to their place in the heavens above.

To be continued…

(FanFiction Sucks)

A/N: Well, a BIG chapter, might as well count it as 2 because it could have very well been. I just wanted to finish this universe in this chapter since it was supposed to be finished LAST chapter. I guess I just wanted to make it at least semi realistic and that caused it to be quite a bit longer than anticipated.

A/N: In case you're wondering… There were fifteen saiyans he trained 8 females, 7 males, because he's the eight male, he needs a place to sleep as well. And as for the gravity, well if you consider the fact that Vegeta's gravity is normally 10 times Earth's gravity, upping the setting by 1 will increase the saiyans body weight by 10 times, not just once. Consider it this way. They normally weigh 10 times more then normal, up gravity and they weigh 20, or even 30 times normal. They may be used to 10 times, but 30 times is a big jump, even if it's only 3 times their regular. Anyone can attest that weighing 1000 pounds is a lot, and even if you get really used to 1000 pounds, suddenly weigh 2000, or 3000… It's a far greater jump then being used to 100 and suddenly weigh 200 or 300.

A/N: To solve clothing problem, Gohan had multiple sets of his original clothing created since Karreth didn't believe in him wearing the same clothing two days in a row without washing them. So he now has a dozen sets of clothes made out of the same material except in 4 different colors. Same cut, design and all but in green, black, blue and the classic red/orange/whatever it was.

A/N: I'm also going to have to do some fancy foot work to avoid plot holes :). If you see one, be kind enough to point it out but not rip me apart in the process.

A/N: Also, I'm making it dead clear in this chapter that there IS no going back to Gohan's old timeline, it's gone, there's just one timeline left. I brought Mirai Trunks here because he's one of my favorite characters and it would clear the plot hole that was left in DBZ. Sure, Trunks killed the androids and cell, but what about Buu and Babidi? They would have existed, and now you know what happened, or at least in my story you do but… well, you'll see in the epilogue :)

A/N: Shit! Godly long chapter! Well, hope you like it, it's fucking HUGE! This IS my biggest yet :). I could have easily extended this story to 10 chapters by now. Even with the summary perspective for many parts of it it's fucking long!

A/N: Well, expect the next chapter when you see it. With school coming I'm either going to be more motivated or less, seems I enjoy writing more while at school, just have less time… it's very strange.

A/N: The saiyans didn't loose control in Oozaru form simply because the elder ones had transformed into it so many times that they were used to it and knew how to full control it while the younger ones simply followed the lead of the older, more powerful ones. And since they all had a focus, the Aeesu-jin, there really was no need for them to go looking elsewhere for a fight, especially since once the fight ended Trunks immediately destroyed the artificial moon. I

A/N: I really like the way I ended this chapter… I think I may do it that way more often, what does everyone else think?


	10. Chapter 9: A New Universe

A/N: Damn! I got a lot of reviews this time, thanks everyone. Got so many I actually started this chapter the day after I posted the last. I especially like the reviews that allow me to respond to them, mainly because it's something other than "OMG! YOU R0X0R! UPDATE HURRY!" and looks as if some coherent and intelligent thought went into it.

A/N: I also hope you don't expect to see chapters as big as the other one TOO often. Simply because that one dragged on for at least twice as long as I had originally intended. I like having chapters between 5k and 9k words, not up near 19k. This one is gonna be a little short simply because I'm NOT too sure where to stop.

l-l

Response to Reviews:

Unknown reader – Yes, I thought the same thing after I read your review. I think I won't do it too often, perhaps only when the main characters are fighting some huge powerful creature on a planet where the people are underdeveloped or have strange beliefs, and then generally perhaps only that last bit because I wish to put much more detail into the fight scenes now that I'm done with the fourth universe. Quite personally, I just did it with that last chapter because I wanted to finish it quickly (it was already huge) yet I didn't want it to just be "punch explode Majin Buu is DEAD! WOOO!"

!unf3cti0n – As for the fight at the end, you are quite correct on your assumption. I wrote it from the point of view of the Earthlings. They greatest things they've see are people like Roshi and Elder Gohan. Something like what happened at the end is beyond their comprehension so their minds simplified it into something they could handle. In case you were wondering, that last blast was a combined Final Flash with Kamehame-ha. I changed it a bit from the series if you had paid attention. It wasn't one color, the blue and gold combined and mixed but didn't merge giving it a rather unique look. Kindalike marble cheese except the colors were constantly shifting.

Anime-Ronin– Unfortunately Anime-Ronin, the Karreth and Gohan thing won't come to a close until near the end. I have to introduce all four females before it'll come near to being concluded. As for Gohan meeting Raditz… Never. I disliked him and Nappa,they were used for nothing in the show, were never developed, and were hollow characters that I will never use. I just had Nappa in the beginning because I know people would go "Wtf? Nappa is supposed to be with Vegeta!" But if you would notice I dropped him when I hit the gravity chamber training. I'll never bring either of those two in again simply because I have no use for them. As for Gohan's father… I might do something about that, but if I did it'd be near the end.

Dany le fou– Ya, I suppose you are right about FanFiction. I was just so pissed off. They had it good previously, there was no need to change it, and yet they did. There's no reason for the change either and that's what pisses me off. It's incredibly hard to make a story have a nice format or style because they screw up any attempt to do so. Umm… With Karreth seeing fully erect saiyans… that's probably a plot hole I left :). Thankfully it's really minor and I hope people will just accept it and not make any critic on it. I suppose I could make 'something' up but I'd really rather not as there really isn't any plausible reason for her having see any, aside from reading naughty magazines but I don't think saiyans actually have any of those. And no, she's not like Roshi. She doesn't go peeping on anyone, except perhaps Gohan but considering how she currently feels… Anyways don't worry about Trunks. He'll probably have something similar, all the men will, hehe :). Poor Vegeta… you should see what I'm going to do to HIM. LOL! Anyways, no frying pans. Only Gohan and Trunks know about THAT weakness and they're NEVER letting it out. But that doesn't mean there aren't OTHER things that could be used ya know, like whips, chains, saws, you know, the usual kinky sex tools.

Cash – I hope this chapter answers those questions, if not just ask them in the review and I'll answer them in the next chapter. Or even send me an e-mail if you wish for the answer more quickly.

Limar – True limar, I could have extended the chapter into 3, as well as extending the Aeesu-jin and Majin Buu fights. But I didn't want to. Majin Buu because it had already been covered in DBZ with far more detail and finality than anything I could do. Could have had improvements but needless Buu wouldn't have put up much of a fight, not against three people easily as strong, if not twice, as he was. The only thing he had to keep him alive was regeneration, but like when he fought Kid Buu his regeneration only did so much until he grew tired. Just think of Majin Buu facing Kid Buu, Vegeta and Goku all maxed out at the same time. He'd go down real fast, especially since he was weaker than the Majin Buu in the series due to being released prematurely. As for Aeesu-jins… I suppose I COULD have made that longer, no real reason not to but by that time I was getting irritated at how long the chapter had became so I tried to finish it as fast as possible without it seeming TOO unrealistic.

fightingirish() - Don't worry about Gohan not being hurt and seeming like a demi-god. In the fourth universe, he was, or might as well be. You'll understand after this chapter what I plan. Gohan won't stay an all-powerful demi-god like creature for long.

ssj-chibigoten - Hehe, thanks about the compliment on the ending. If you're wondering where I got it, look no further than the Wheel of Time book series by Robert Jordan, fucking amazing series, but only if you like stories that go for a long time and with such depth and detail it makes the pacific ocean look shallow. Anyways, I digress. I just hope I don't become TOO unique as to no longer make this a true DBZ fanfiction.

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**Chapter 9: A New Universe**

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Gohan was smiling this night, and he had much to smile about. It was one week since the Aeesu-jin race had been annihilated, a week since the greatest threat the universe has ever known, Majin Buu, had been destroy, five days since Babidi met a quick and violent end and an hour since he felt his complete power return to himself. There was only one worry he had left tumbling around inside his mind, a worry that had yet to even begin to manifest itself, a threat that never would if he had his way. Dr. Gero will never live to complete his androids.

Saving the universe always did leave a warm tingling feeling in the bowels of his stomach.

Gohan sighed contentedly as he gazed up into the night sky. He was lying beside the lake which concealed the gravity chamber. The ground around the lake was grassy for the most part with trees dotting the place here and there providing shade from the sun during the day. This park was completely enclosed within the perimeter of the palace and was carefully nurtured every day. It was quite surprising what one could find, especially such a fictitious sight as this that betrays Saiyan ideologies or generalizations, if one dug deep enough into the saiyan race. They had this front of being the perfect soldiers, and they were, but they also had a gentle side that very few knew about. It just proved to Gohan what he already knew. Combat may be a large part of the saiyan race, and other races, but it cannot be everything. A life of pure combat is not a life at all, it's one of the worst forms of torture one could experience; a slow yet inevitable destruction of ones mind, body and soul.

Suddenly the smile left his face as the events that took place earlier that day came back. He came here to hopefully forget about them for a few hours. Here we was thinking that he might finally be able to live the rest of his life in peace and quiet, well as peace and quiet as one could when living with a race of boisterous warriors, and Kibitoshin comes along and ruins it all. Killing Cold and Frieza's would have been a walk in the park compared to what he was going to have to do now apparently. The supreme kai hadn't been able to tell them everything, only to enjoy this last day of peace because come the morrow they would be neck deep once more in trouble. He had revealed a few additional pieces of information as well.

That he would be leaving this universe for the next.

That he was required to fix not one, not two, but four damned universes before he was finally able to relax.

That each universe held creatures infinitely more powerful than the previous one.

And the worst thing of all, Karreth was coming along.

That wasn't to say he disliked having her around, it was more that she made it difficult to do anything at times. She knew well enough to leave him alone when he was in the middle of something important but that wasn't much comfort as she took advantage of the rest of the time to try and trip him into her bed. Gohan let out a long drawn out sigh. He was not looking forward to this at all. Sure, he didn't mind helping out, but wasn't this asking for just a little bit much? From savior of a planet, to that of the universe, and now the entire multi-verse? He must have pissed someone off quite badly in his previous life to be thrust into this kind of life.

They could at least pay him. You know, a little cash here, a nice place to live there, a wife and children in a couple years, you know, something, anything. Gohan grumbled to himself. This was going to pass once he got up and started. It was just annoying to think that he may finally have attained the peace he'd always dreamt and then have it snatched away no more than a week later. At least he was going to be given targets to unleash his anger and annoyance at. That was something at least; multiple targets by the sound of it. He sure hoped they put up more of a fight than the Aeesu-jins because he was really getting annoyed at having everything he hits explode into a shower of giblets. It wasn't that he disliked the sight; not really, it was more the staining and ruining of his clothes that was pissing him off. Tears and slashes could be repaired; blood stains could never be removed.

Gohan closed his eyes and relaxed. For tonight he would sleep out here, remembrance of the days when he had trained with Piccolo. They were harsh days, but peaceful at the same time. No worries greater than the need to live. Perhaps he would have felt a little better if Kibitoshin had been able to give him a little more information. But all that was really revealed to him, aside from what he had already gone over, was that Trunks and Bardock also were both traveling with him.

With a yawn Gohan's mind slowly began to clear as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Elsewhere…

"You failed us; you were supposed to kill Gohan!" The creature hissed to the one cowering at her feet.

"I'm sssorry." The second one hissed in fear. Failure was never taken very well in the organization.

The first one snarled and kicked the draconic creature in the face.

"Sorry won't get the job done!" She snarled. "You know full well what happens when one of us fail in our duties."

"There wasss no way anyone could have realizzzed how powerful he could grow." The draconic creature hissed out, hoping for at least a smidgen of mercy.

The female bent down and easily lifted the other up by the neck, despite the creature being a full ten times her weight. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses! If you had gone yourself then he would have died, but you decided to manipulate those that were not yours to manipulate!" She snapped.

"Cold was MINE! And now he is dead! Another couple of years and I could have used him to eradicate both the Saiya-jins and the Aeesu-jins!" Her eyes began to darken until it seemed as if they absorbed the light from around them. "Now, because of your pathetic failure, Gohan has gotten too powerful for either of us to handle, and has allies that he should not have. He has become a true threat. Neither the master, nor his superior, will like that very much."

"Pleassse, d-don't hurt me… I-I'll make it up, I-I'll kill him! I-have-plansss, h-he'll be in my verssse sssoon." The creature gasped out, his breathing becoming labored due to lack of nitrogen.

The female glared at him, "You had better do it right this time snake!" She snarled. A shockwave rippled through the room as a half ton draconic figure flew through the air at several times the speed of sound before it slammed into the far wall without causing a single scratch or dent. "If you don't, you'll have more to worry about than me! You wouldn't want a trip to the Golgothian now would you?" She said that last part sweetly, sickeningly sweet. With that she stormed from the room, her black eyes starkly contrasting the almost ghost like complexion of her skin. She almost looked as fragile as a porcelain doll, and that had given her the edge in more than one situation.

And behind, in the room, a blue scaled dragon like creature began to sweat bullets. His kind was almost considered a delicacy by that creature. And he had about as much a chance of defending against it as a baby elf did against an elder wyrm.

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The next day…

Gohan's nice, pleasant dream about raising a family in a peaceful place filled with trees and passive wildlife was brought to an abrupt end as freezing cold water was dumped on his face. Gohan sat up spluttering and more than just a little disoriented as he tried to figure out just where exactly he was and what had happened. After a few moments he was able to right his senses to notice that he was still where he was last night, beside the lake where he had fallen asleep. What also drew his attention was laughter.

He turned and stared, there stood the supreme kai and Karreth laughing uproariously while Bardock and Trunks both had huge grins on their faces and two hoses in their hands. "Ha, ha, very funny." Gohan grumbled as he stood up.

"Oh it was." Karreth said during a pause in her laughing.

Gohan glared at them, "Are we done yet or should I give you guys a couple hours to settle down?" Gohan inquired, more than a little irritated. He was having such a nice dream.

"I'm just here to see you off Gohan." Kibitoshin said with a smile, "Once you leave this universe I won't be able to reach you. A supreme kai lacks the ability to transcend the universe we are tasked with protecting. We can communicate with the others, but are essentially tied to our own more tightly than those we watch over. I'm not sure what the other supreme kais are like, or if they even exist in all four universes, but I've been talking with a couple from the next. I haven't been having much luck so don't count on their aid until they appear before you and give it. You've done so much for this universe that I owe you all I have done and more. You won't have the same credit rating with them that you do with me."

Gohan nodded, "So basically we're on our own from here on out."

"I wouldn't put it like that." The supreme kai replied. "I'm sure someone or something will help you at some point in time. Don't rely on just yourselves. One thing I know for certain, your group is not yet complete. There are still others that must join you." Noticing the frown on Gohan's face he went on.

"You'll know who they are once you see them. It'll be almost impossible for you not to."

Gohan nodded and turned to Karreth, "Are you sure about coming along?" Gohan asked.

Karreth nodded, "I left Vegeta in charge. There are some things in life more important than the throne, and I'll lose out on them if I stay behind." She replied.

Gohan sighed, "And you can't find them here?" Gohan asked, "It's a very big universe, I doubt even a fraction of it has been thoroughly explored." Gohan was seriously hoping she would reconsider. Having her around him would only lead to distractions.

She smiled and nodded, "I haven't given up on you Gohan. I'll prove myself to you, and then you will accept me. Until such time, I'm unwilling to let you out of my sight for any length of time." She replied sweetly, "I don't want any other females to come around and lay claim to you."

Gohan sighed; he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. The thought of multiple females pulling him in multiple directions, and all of them wielding frying pans, suddenly came to mind. "Alright, fine, Kibitoshin… just how exactly are we supposed to get to where we are going?" Gohan asked, changing the subject, "I mean it's not like we can just walk there."

"Are we going to use a machine?" Trunks asked, "I may be able to make one. I helped my mom build the time machine. With Gohan's help and saiyan technology I may be able to make a machine that can go between universes as opposed to times."

Bardock shook his head, "That won't work. Or rather he won't let it." Bardock intruded.

Gohan raised an eyebrow at this, "I take it something happened."

Bardock nodded, "I had a… err… visit I suppose. The supreme kai was there to confirm it and to reassure me I wasn't going insane. It… explains the holes in my memory at least." Bardock said, trying to make himself feel better. "The universe we're going to will have a technological level equal to that of the medieval era on and he doesn't wish to disturb that by introducing machines or anything similar. The saiyan battle armor and the special alloy used in Trunks' sword is the extreme limit he is willing to push this." He explained.

Trunks slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants, "Then how exactly are we getting there?" He asked. "The same way I got here?" Gohan inquired.

Bardock nodded, "Yes, he will take over for a while and create the portal to take us to our next destination."

"Not without me you aren't." A voice said.

The five of them turned to see Vegeta stomping towards them closely followed by the councilors and advisors. "Vegeta, you know that we both can't go." Karreth said as she looked down at her little brother as he stopped just short of her. "One of us needs to stay here and mind the empire while the other is gone."

"Hmph." Vegeta grumped, "I don't think so. You're not going to go anywhere without me. You think I'd let you go and face powerful creatures and almost certain death without me while I am forced to sit here and endure hours after hours of endless lines of paper stamping?" Vegeta demanded.

"Someone needs to stay Vegeta, and you are the weakest among us all." Gohan said, "And it'll also give you a taste of what it's like to rule making it easier to take the throne in the future." Gohan said, trying to placate him.

Vegeta glared at him and pointed a finger, "I have a number of years before I am even capable of taking the throne! If from what I heard is correct and this won't take more than a year or two it'll still give me plenty of time to learn. Not that it's really all that hard to stamp papers!" Vegeta retorted.

"And just who did you choose to rule for us while we are gone Vegeta?" Karreth demanded, "No one can sit on the throne but us, and I can't believe that you would elevate someone to regent. We may come back with the empire taken from us."

Vegeta smirked at his sister, "The councilors and advisors can take care of the paper work for us." Vegeta said as he reached into his battle armor and pulled out a ring, "And without the royal rings you and I possess, anything they do can be rescinded the moment we return. They also have incentive to actually help us. I promised a substantial raise in their wages should everything be in order and running smoothly when we return. And I threatened them with bodily harm if it wasn't." Vegeta added.

Karreth just shook her head sadly before she kneeled down and patted Vegeta on the head, earning a vicious glare, "You may grow up to be a good King after all. If we can ever get rid of this 'I'm superior to you so get down and lick my boots' attitude. We are superior, but to rub it in someone's face is just asking for them to rebel. We can't run our empire alone. If we piss the people who make the little decisions off we may find ourselves doing everything for ourselves." She said.

Vegeta glared at her, "You've grown soft sister." He growled, "Next you'll be telling me that threatening our advisors and councilors was a bad move."

Karreth stood up and grinned down at him before smirking at said people, "Oh, not really because if you don't do it, I'll do it myself. I said don't rub it into the faces of the little people, but of those near our level… I completely agree with that. There are countless people who are willing, and capable, of replacing them. They're expendable, and they know it." Karreth replied with an evil glint in her eyes.

Vegeta barked a laugh, "Perhaps you haven't grown completely soft." Vegeta said, coming as close to an apology as he ever does.

By this time the councilors and advisors were becoming increasingly nervous. Their health was linked directly with that of their empire. The worse their empire became, the more likely their lives would come to a long, agonizing end. For the first time they were beginning to question their choice of occupation. Theirs just became more hazardous then that of front line soldiers.

"If you saiyans are done talking, I would like to begin." Bardock said with his face completely devoid of emotion.

"Go ahead err… Bardock." Gohan said. He didn't really know what to call him. Everything that had to be sorted out was.

As Bardock turned his back to them Trunks threw a small knapsack towards him. As Gohan caught it he gave Trunks a quizzical look as he slipped a strap over one shoulder. It was then that he noticed similar bags hanging from the backs of the other four, even Vegeta.

"Your clothes and a couple other necessities." Trunks explained as a large portal sprung up before Bardock. "We couldn't bring much as the majority of what we use are too advanced for where we are going." He finished as he moved over to stand just slightly behind Bardock.

Gohan nodded and went to stand beside him. "The portal will stay open for as long as I'm on this side, so I'll be the last one through." Bardock explained in a monotone voice.

No one spoke as they walked through the portal. They were saiyans, they feared nothing, except the frying pan but Trunks and Gohan weren't about to actually say that. Nothing needed to be said. Slowly, one by one, they stepped into the portal and disappeared. The portal itself looked much like a rift in space and time. To Gohan it looked much like what his father had said about the sky when Majin Buu went crazy when Vegeta and Goku had fused. Except this time it didn't jeopardize the stability of the entire universe, nor was it as ragged. It was just a large circular hole in the fabric of reality that had a really odd bluish color to it. Or maybe it was black, or purple. Gohan couldn't quite place any one color to it. It certainly wasn't any of the light colors, yet at the same time, it was. Bardock, like he said, was the last to go through and as he did it slowly closed behind him. One reason he wanted to be last, was to make sure nothing came through from the other side. And that included objects that the saiyans couldn't see, objects and creatures that didn't existed in the standard three dimensions of height, width and depth.

As the portal completely closed the supreme kai turned to the councilors and advisors. "You know, even if Karreth and Vegeta aren't here. I still am. I'll drop by from time to time to make sure you aren't doing anything they would disapprove of.. Because you can rest assure, if I see something out of place, I'll let them know, and if anything you do affects the universe as the whole and I don't agree with it, I'll step in and stop it myself." Kibitoshin said with a smile and disappeared leaving a half dozen terrified saiyans.

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In the new universe…

"Well, this is certainly different from where we just were." Gohan said with a smile on his face, "Reminds me of home in a certain fashion, except there weren't very many half mile high trees."

And Gohan wasn't exaggerating. They were in a small clearing in a forest with absolutely monstrous trees. And that was saying it mildly. The smallest tree was over a kilometer high with a width of nearly fifty feet. The huge trunks of the trees blocked virtually all sunlight, yet despite that the ground was covered in a lush carpet of ankle high grass. The branches of the trees were enormous, almost looking as if they were trees in and of themselves and that the massive trunk that touched the ground was merely the base for them.

The others were gawking much more though. They hadn't much chance to see a true forest, there was only one on planet Vegeta and whenever they visited another planet it generally wasn't for a social call. Only Bardock seemed phlegmatic of his surroundings, but that changed as soon as the spirit inhabiting his body left. Only Trunks seemed as calm and collected as he, but he was still staring in wonder at their surroundings.

"This defies all logic." Gohan said as tried to sort through what was going on. "Trees cannot grow to be that tall, the oxygen levels at that height are too limited for them. But even more, the water supply and ground nutrients should also limit their growth before they became this tall. It would take the perfect setting with a constant inflow of sufficient nutrients, water oxygen and sunlight for this to be possible."

"Yes, and what's more, if you check the ground it's more fertile than anything we can produce." Trunks said in wonder as he pawed through the dirt. "I'm not a soil expert but you don't need to be to know this. With trees this large the soil should be heavily leeched, but it's as if fresh fertilizer was just placed here moments ago. And this grass, the bushes, all this undergrowth. There's no sunlight! How can they even possibly grow?" Trunks said, wonder evident in his speech.

Suddenly Gohan's eyes widened. "Trunks, everyone, stretch out your senses, you're not going to believe this." He said, his voice coming out hoarsely.

The others, surprised by this, did what they were told and soon their eyes widened as well. The trees, they had more life force than the average saiyan.

"What the hell is this place?" Vegeta bellowed in shock, "How can trees be stronger than my people?!"

"Vegeta… if the vegetation is this powerful, can you imagine the people?" Gohan inquired.

This made the gears in their heads start churning. "I don't think we should become separated. I am fairly certain that Trunks and I can take on anything, but you three may be vulnerable if caught alone." Gohan said.

They could only nod in agreement. Coming to a planet and finding that the trees had a power level of nearly 12,000 was shocking to say the least.

"I think we should just ignore this for now and try to figure out exactly where we are, or what we're supposed to do. All we know is that we're on a different planet, in a different universe and that we're supposed to fix something in this universe like we did in the last. It would have been nice if the person inhabiting within Bardock had let us in on what it was that we exactly fixed. Genocide isn't really what I would consider a 'fix' to a problem." Gohan said rather sourly as he glanced at Bardock but he merely shrugged, he hadn't been told anything either.

"Perhaps we should head in that direction." Trunks said, pointing into the forest. It was virtually impossible to tell which direction it was without a sun visible. Who knows, this planet may not even be spherical and therefore not have a north, south, east and west direction.

Gohan nodded as he stretched his senses out. The levels he felt were staggering. Most just slightly weaker than Bardock in his normal form with the weakest just slightly below Vegeta, but there were a few large ones that surpassed him even while in super saiyan. Nothing he or Trunks couldn't handle, but trouble should a large number of them attack at once. The closest group of large powers was in the direction Trunks had pointed, hence the reason for him indicating that way.

"Let's go." Gohan said as he began to run through the forest.

There was no point in flying in and startling the neighborhood. The others fell in beside him but, aside from Trunks, were confused as to why he wasn't flying but decided to trust him nevertheless. They didn't speak as they ran, anxious to see what they were up against. Vegeta was rather upset. He could sense the power levels as clearly as everyone else, and it grated him to know that despite all the power he now possessed he was still no match for many of the inhabitants of this world, and who knows what else lay out there within the universe. What other super beings existed.

A couple minutes later they slowed and finally stopped. Gohan was frowning. The powers they were feeling, they were right there yet they couldn't see anything different. The huge forest just kept on stretching on seemingly endlessly in all directions.

"They should be here…" Gohan said.

"They are." Bardock said as he looked up, "Look up." And everyone looked up.

There, high above them in the trees was a massive city. Tiers upon tiers could be seen with houses, shops and other various buildings scattered on each level. The buildings were either constructed around the trees, or directly in them. It looked very much like a city Gohan had read in the fantasy stories back home. Stories about cities in the clouds, the trees, underground, all over the place in unique locations that stirred the imagination and conjured up majestic pictures. And here, right above him, were one of those fairy tale cities. A city he believed he would never actually see, merely envision and dream.

"Well that's certainly a novel idea." Trunks mused, "It keeps them away from any predators on the ground plus it brings them closer to the light. They're also able to place a lot more in a small area then we ever could. Instead of just one level with huge buildings, they have multiple, eight, nine, perhaps a dozen different levels. A great architectural design. And with trees of this size, I doubt even an earthquake could shake them, especially with the amount of life energy we feel within them." Trunks said.

"It's quite picturesque." Karreth said with her eyes wide with wonder. She may be a saiyan, but she was still female.

"We're glad you're admiring the view, but would you mind telling us who you are?" A gruff, yet musical, voice said. "If you do not, we will be forced to kill every last one of you."

That tore their attention away from the city in a hurry. Surrounding them were nearly a hundred soldiers. Or that's the appearance they gave clad in chain mail and brandishing swords and spears that literally glowed and hummed with a strange energy. Most of them were tall, easily matching the saiyans for height, and all were dressed for war. Their hair and eye color were gold, green and blue framing golden skin, the color of skin that must girls dream about, and would kill for. There were also several other figures that were definitely not warriors but had the same hard expression on their faces. These people were robed however and held a distinct air about them that seemed unnatural, yet at the same time, too natural. Their eyes and hands glowed much like the weapons the warriors wielded. Their most prominent feature though, that immediately caught Trunks' and Gohan's attention, were their ears; ears that were long and pointed.

What caught their attention the most though, were their power levels. If they got into a fight, only Gohan and Trunks would live to tell about it. Despite their primitive looks and weapons, they were definitely powerful, powerful enough to challenge the might of a super saiyan, and they did not look pleased at their intrusion.

To be continued…

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A/N: Hehe, DONE! LOL! Hope you enjoy it. They're in a rather sticky situation now. Of course, knowing me, they'll of course survive… but how well… that's an entirely different matter. Everyone that's followed my stories knows I have a tendency to enjoy torturing and mauling my main characters.

A/N: Not as long, but done much more quickly. And once again, I appreciate the reviews. Makes me glad to know that people actually read this story.

A/N: If you're not able to figure out just what race I described there… I really should smack you. They're the most popular and well known race outside that of humans and even exist within our legends.

A/N: From this point on I get nervous. The DBZ universe is gone until near the end and will only be mentioned in conversations from time to tim until the very end. I hope peope don't mind because I have a feeling each universe will take as long, if not longer, to write about as the fourth one did.

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Well… I've decided. I'll give the power levels of everyone up to this point. I think I'll do it at the end of each universe. Well, once at the end of this one, the next and the third and then again at the very end of the story. There are some who may be interested, and I just like posting them hehe. Anyways, these are their power levels and ages at the very moment they step into the portal earlier in this chapter. (I'm using the same calculations that I used for the transformations in my previous story) Also… I made a mistake in my earlier chapter. I compared the others power levels to Cold… forget that. I didn't. That would have made them too strong for my purposes. They're actually about half as strong as I said.

Mystic Gohan – 659,250,000 .................. (Age – 18)  
Normal Trunks – 25,400,000 .................. (Age – 19)  
Super Saiyan Trunks – 114,300,000  
Super Saiyan II Trunks – 337,185,000  
Normal Bardock – 17,100,000 ................. (Age – 33)  
Super Saiyan Bardock – 76,950,000  
Normal Karreth – 13,400,000 .................. (Age – 18)  
Super Saiyan Karreth – 60,300,000  
Normal Vegeta – 10,850,000 ................... (Age – 8)  
Super Saiyan Vegeta – 48,825,000  
Kibitoshin – 375,000,000 ......................... (Age – 143,110)


	11. Chapter 10: Unexpected Help

A/N: Alright! I found away around GayFiction's restrictions! WOO! Ok, This is what I'll use for now on for formatting  
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Passage of Time --oo-O-oo--  
Change of Place --OO-o-OO--  
They'll be centered like the title of the chapter, making them look cool! Of course, there will also be a little blurb below it like always so if the symbols confuse you, you'll at least be able to figure out exactly what type of change it is. I realize that if there aren't any letters or characters on a line then GayFiction will just simply erase the line, so the trick is to make a cool looking combination of letters, symbols and/or numbers. Problem is what I consider cool and what you consider cool is totally different. They were cool... but now they're not. GayFiction has struck again...

If you're wondering about my change of name for FanFiction… look no further than all the new stories… especially Naruto. Over 70 of them are male/male which is making me ill. I don't mind the odd yaoi story but when the majority of them become that… I start questioning things. Most of them are just done by hormonal females that want to see two males go at it but never will so just write about it.

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Response to Reviews:

Limar() – Well, the thing is I won't be updating any faster than 1 every week, sometimes 1 every 2 if it's exceedingly huge. That's what I try to aim for. If motivation (or ideas) run out then it usually takes longer to update but I generally aim for 1-2 weeks.

Cash – Well… as for cell, don't worry Goku will be training/fighting his entire life. Piccolo is still there and without the saiyans attacking and Gohan with any special powers there is no way Piccolo will ever become good so those two will constantly be fighting and growing stronger and stronger. Who knows what'll happen in their fights, perhaps Piccolo threatens Chichi or one of their children, perhaps he kills one and Goku goes SSJ, who knows. Regardless, you shouldn't be worrying about that because it'll all be explained at the very end. :). And yes, power levels that huge SHOULD be outlawed but I went off the series so I had to go with the estimation power levels that were on several websites. I saw a few websites (dbvortexfor instances) with low ones but they fucked up the power levels that WERE explained and shown in the series so I disregard those ones. And yes, I love magic! All types, except the mangled version shown in Harry Potter… ugh… They TRY to use the standard magic system but then they go and make a mockery of it, so I hate them. Wouldn't have been bad if they had tried to go original and did it shitty, but they just screwed up an already existing system.

Anime-Ronin - yup, four females... although by the time the fourth one gets introduced maybe 1 or 2 of the others may start looking elsewhere. A female will only go for a guy for so long, especially when there is another, free one, close by.

Luna's Meow - Yes, elves once more, but not from Weiss, from AD&D. When someone thinks magic, elves are almost always associated, or at least that's my experience, so when I placed my guys in a magical environment elves seems the real sensible race but don't worry, you'll be seeing other races as well. Some much more magical than elves.

yodey() - Ya, I disliked Gohan how he was during the series... kinda. He started shit, became good, then became shit and then good near the end with Buu. I'm taking him a step further and am going to change him from what he was and into his own person, not a reflection of his father. I'm hoping I'm doing the change gradual enough that it looks at least semi-realistic. I'm not a professional writer so don't expect perfection :)

FireDemonLord - No he didn't. Bardock had Raditz and Goku, that's it. Don't care where you get your sources, that's what it is. I'm not going off most of the movies. Only the few that can actually FIT into the DBZ story line without causing catastrophic plot holes, like Brolly for instance and the Trunks Special and Bardock Special.

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**Chapter 10: Unexpected Help**

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This wasn't good. This was most definitely not good. Having a large group of angry beings powerful enough to kill a number of you pointing weapons in your general direction is probably the last place Gohan wanted to be in. Of course, as his luck would have it, he was stuck in the middle of such a situation.

"I asked you a question. I demand an answer!" The creature demanded. Judging by his slightly more expensive looking armor and weapons, along with a helm with a symbol on it which none of the others had, Gohan figured that this was the leader of… well… whatever they were. He had a hunch about the race, but he wasn't going to go flapping his chops and make a mistake causing him to sound ignorant. He knew Trunks and Bardock had enough common sense to keep quiet but he wasn't so sure about the other two.

Gohan looked over at them. Nope, they weren't going to keep quiet. Despite knowing that they were overpowered; both Karreth and Vegeta appeared as if they were about to explode. Well, more like just Vegeta. Karreth was mildly irritated but with her being female it would equal the same as a male saiyan being enrage to the point of going berserk. He had to act fast or this could spiral downwards into a blood bath very quickly.

Gohan stepped forward drawing everyone's attention to him. He knew Karreth would keep quiet but Vegeta, he had to act fast. "We're just travellers." Gohan said calmly, as if the weapons pointed at him were mere toys, and to him they were. "We're just passing through when we saw this fabulous city of yours and stopped to view its splendor properly. A city like this deserves to be admired." Gohan said politely. If nothing else, try flattery.

The commander snorted, or at least Gohan assumed it was a commander having no idea how their hierarchy works. "Fabulous city? You have a fancy way with words, and this pig sty is nothing compared to the splendors of the capital, everyone knows that." The guard replied. "Now, would you like to try again? The truth this time, I won't have you lying to us. Our mages will make take note of which words you speak are true and which are not."

Vegeta stepped forward to speak up but stopped as Gohan glared at him with such venom that it paralyzed him. "Karreth, make sure your little brother doesn't get out of hand. Being as young as he is he tends to say the worst possible things at the worst conceivable moment. He lacks the wisdom of knowing when to speak, and when to stay quiet." Gohan declared hotly.

Karreth nodded and grabbed Vegeta by the collar and dragged him back a little, placing him near the center of their group. Vegeta was completely complacent. He had seen something inside Gohan's eyes that he didn't like one bit, something that terrified him. There was something inside he never wished to see emerge.

Gohan turned back, his face completely calm once more. "I assure you, we mean no harm. We were simply travelling in this direction when we noticed your fine city. You must have heard Karreth complementing it on its beauty and Trunks with its architectural design. It is a fabulous city. A city does not need be large, or important, for it to be beautiful." Gohan said. Every word he said was true, he knew it and they knew it. He was suddenly glad his mother had forced him to read all those political studies books. "But you asked who we are, and I have delayed in that answer. I am Gohan, the child is Vegeta and the one who grabbed him earlier is his older sister, Karreth. The one with the lavender hair is Trunks, a true friend, and the last one is Bardock, a close relative of mine." Gohan said as he introduced everyone.

"Strange names you have." The commander said after a moment of silence, "But you have spoken no word of a lie and have done as I have asked."

"Yet there are questions we still wish answered." Said another musical voice; this one must softer than the other. This time it originated from one of the robed figures. The figure clasped its hands together it did a number of strange signs before disappearing and reappearing beside the commander. It raised its hands and drew the hood back revealing a shockingly beautiful woman. Karreth immediately became jealous and began to watch Gohan closely. "You are not elven, yet you speak our language as if you were one of our own. Even the inflections are accurate, something few outside our race are capable of doing." She said. The question was there even if it wasn't asked directly. "And yet you are not elven, nor are you dwarven, human or a halfling. You have the look of a human yet the tail of a monkey. You are… alien to this world are you not?" She inquired.

Gohan sighed. "You are quite perceptive. Most would have passed our tails off as nothing more than a furry belt." Gohan replied as he unwound his tail from around his waist letting it wave through the air for a bit before wrapping it around his waist once more. It had gotten quite a bit of training while in the gravity chamber. The additional weight pressing down on it made it far more durable and pain tolerant than it once was. "As for why I can speak your language so fluently… I've always had a knack for learning." Gohan said lightly.

He really did not know how hew knew their language. It just came naturally to him and to the rest apparently from the reaction Vegeta had given. He had seemingly fully understood what was said to him. Yet they didn't turn their head one bit when he had spoken to Vegeta, meaning that they couldn't understand what he had been saying. Now that he thought about it he had spoken to Vegeta in his native tongue while he had spoken to the elves in theirs. There were several languages spoken back on Earth. The first and foremost was common, or the planetary language that everyone knew but there were a few other racial or national languages which weren't as well known or spoken. His mother had forced him to learn them all. He must have automatically started speaking in one of those tongues when he heard it. As for the right inflection, that was something he'd have to sort out later, as well as how Vegeta and the others knew. Trunks, like him, would have been well versed in the other languages like he was, having been from the same planet, albeit a slightly more devastated one.

"I see." The female said, knowing that Gohan was hiding something but wasn't able to follow up as he had answered her questions truthfully and completely so far. He had simply neglected to add the additional information everyone else usually did. "And you were merely passing through, was that it?" She inquired again. She continued when she got a returning nod. "What I find interesting though, is why you stopped here. And why you decided to come in this direction. We've been tracking you for some time and are quite curious as to how you suddenly appeared in the middle of our lands without our knowledge, and how you seemed to home towards to closet settlement, and how you seemed to know exactly where it was."

Gohan frowned; they were getting into questions he didn't want to answer. "How we appeared in the middle of your land isn't any of your concern but I will say this. No more will be coming by the same route we did, no one else 'can' come by the same route we did." Gohan started. "As for how we knew where to go and stop. That also is none of your concern. You know through this that we have an ability to do so, an ability to locate your settlements so let's just end it with; it wouldn't have mattered if we had appeared near your settlement or another, a human or dwarven. We still would have travelled towards the closet, regardless of the race or nationality."

"You didn't answer my questions." She stated.

"I answered what you wanted." Gohan returned, "I'm not willing to tell you everything about us, just like I doubt you're willing to tell us anything about yourself. Your people are able to judge if my words are true or not, so I simply stated that we have no harm, no intend to bring any form of harm to your people, either directly or otherwise." Her mouth thinned, it was apparent she was not liking this answer. She wanted more than assurances. "If you do not wish us near here, tell us to leave and we will go. If you will allow us in, show us to a place where we can rest and we'll pay for it. If you wish to fight us, go ahead and get it over with." Gohan said in a cold, dark tone. "We've answered your questions, assuaged your fears, and yet you question us like we were prisoners of war or spies. We are neither. We've tried to be calm and collected while questioned, but you demand much and give nothing. I see no point in answering anymore questions without assurances from you. Are you going to kill us and are just getting information from us before you do so or do you fully intend to let us in or go on our way?"

"What will you do if we tell you to leave?" She asked.

Gohan thought about that for a moment, "Not much really. We'd leave and head for the next city and hope for a better introduction. And we'll keep going until we find some place that accepts us. But if every place is like here, there could be a great many dead people by the time we finally find a place." Gohan answered.

She nodded and drew a deep breath. "Alright, you can stay here with us on one condition. You do not harm any of our people or cause any sort of disruption."

"We might as well leave then because our appearance alone would cause a disruption." He replied.

"That is of no concern. I meant a disruption caused directly by your actions, not because the citizens wish to gawk at you." She said.

Gohan smiled at her, "My thanks." He replied, "I don't suppose you have a name?"

She frowned at him, "My name is of no concern." She turned to the commander, "Tylan, escort these travelers to the nearest inn." She commanded before she did a few hand signs and disappeared.

With the disappearance of the magistrate the others began to disperse until only the commander, Tylan, was left. Tylan turned back to the saiyans from where he had watched the others disappear. "I don't suppose you can fly." He said as he pointed at Gohan.

"We can, just lead the way and we'll follow. As long as you don't disappear like that woman did we'll be able to keep up." Gohan returned.

Tylan nodded and began to float up into the air, his boots glowing brightly. Gohan turned to the others and beckoned them to follow. Several moments later Gohan was flying beside the commander with the others lagging only slightly behind. It was quite disturbing to Tylan, and many others, to see five alien creatures flying beside one of their own without the aide of any magical equipment.

As they flew up through the many tiered city Gohan resolutely kept his face forward, refusing to show that he was impressed or bedazzled by the sights laid out before him. Vegeta was much the same, firmly believing that the saiyan architecture was far superior and nothing these underdeveloped fools created could compare to what they had. The other three were openly admiring the view and gawking at a certain places, although it was different for each as they each found beauty or interest in different things.

They had ascended three tiers, or at least that's what it appeared like as the tiers weren't all exactly perfectly horizontal and seemed to overlap at points, before Tylan stopped his ascent and landed on a bridge that bridged three huge trees. The saiyans landed beside him and quickly followed him as he crossed the bridge to one of the huge trees. There was a huge building built around the tree itself with a large wooden platform encircling the entire building. Railings lined the platform to prevent small children to roll or run off them by accident. There was a large sign hanging from the front of the inn with the words 'The White Crown' printed across the center of it over the picture of a white crown on a green background.

With a soft push Tylan opened the door to the inn revealing that the inn was not only built around the tree, but inside it as well. The common room stretched all the way around the trunk of the tree while a couple of staircases, one leading further down into the depths of the tree while the other spiraled upwards, could be seen built into the tree itself. What was curious was that the openings in the trunk didn't appear as if they were cut or sanded. It looked almost as if the wood was simply shaped to fit the desired shape like it was putty. Several tables were occupied, but what surprised, and in a sense comforted the saiyans, was that the majority of the people within were not elves, but other creatures like humans, dwarves and halflings. This apparently was the place where foreign travellers often rested.

Tylan turned to the others and beckoned them in. "I shall take my leave of you here. Just sit at a table and you will be served and a place to sleep will be arranged for you. And in reference to something you said earlier, everything is free. We're not like the dwarves and humans. We do not value currency. One's worth is measured based on their actions, not the gold they posses. I hope you won't abuse this hospitality." He said.

Gohan smiled, "Don't worry. We won't. Like I've said before we are not here to cause problems."

"See that you don't." He said as he turned and left the establishment.

"Over there Gohan." Trunks said as he pointed to a table near the corner of the common room. It was large enough, and with enough chairs and benches, to accommodate the five of them comfortably.

Once the five of them were all comfortably arranged around the table a thought struck Gohan. "How exactly are we going to explain our appetites?" Gohan asked the others.

"We don't, we order what we want, and we eat it. I'm not starving myself because of these idiots." Vegeta growled.

"I think we should just order one meal each and see how it tides us over. I'm beginning to have a hunch as to what is going on here." Gohan said. The others regarded him curiously but when he didn't respond they simply went back to thinking silently. Much was going through their heads, well except Vegeta who was more intent on filling his stomach than thinking and every time he tried to think he remembered the look Gohan gave him earlier.

"So what now?" Karreth asked, "Do we just sit here until something happens or do we go searching for something we don't know. We have very precious little information to go on here."

"Is our little friend giving us any hints?" Gohan asked Bardock.

Bardock shook his head negatively, "No, he's been pretty much sil…" Bardock stopped for a moment and appeared as if he was listening to something they couldn't hear. After a tense minute his attention returned to those at the table, "Well, I know a little I suppose." He said finally.

Gohan was about to open his mouth to ask when a waitress appeared at their table. She looked at them curiously for a moment, obviously trying to figure out who they were. A smile graced her face as she spoke "May I take your orders?" She asked politely.

"What are you serving?" Gohan returned just as politely.

She listed the few things they were cooking, the list was short compared to the standards they were used to but then, they didn't have the technology they had. "… And that's everything, what would you like?" She said after she finished listing the items.

Gohan smiled at her causing her to blush. "I'll have one of today's specials with water on the side." Gohan answered.

"I'll take a large steak with some ale." Vegeta stated.

"I'm sorry child, but we don't serve alcohol to children." She said.

"WHAT! I'm no child!" Vegeta yelled.

There was a large smash as Karreth bopped her little brother over the head. "That's enough of that Vegeta. I'll have a large roasted chicken with water as well and my little brother here will have juice." Karreth said.

"JUICE!"

"What Vegeta said sounded nice." Bardock said with a smirk. "Give me a large steak and some ale." Vegeta glowered at Bardock who simply smirked back.

The waitress turned to Trunks to get the last order, "I'll just have a garden salad and some vegetables and anything else you think is good. No meat though." Trunks said.

The waitress gave Trunks a brilliant smile. "An excellent choice sir." She said before she turned and left.

Trunks watched her go for a moment before he turned back to see everyone staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"No…" Karreth started.

"…meat?" Vegeta finished.

Trunks shrugged, "My mother was a big fan of eating healthy. There wasn't anything else to eat BUT meat before we came here and now that I have the choice…" Trunks shrugged.

"Leave him alone, he has his preference, just like we have ours." Gohan said, cutting off anymore jabs or questions. "What I wish to know is what our little friend inside Bardock told him, and just how exactly you three can understand and speak their language. They speak an old Earth language that isn't used much."

"All saiyan children, upon birth, have a translator placed within them. It grows with them and is as easily removed as ones heart." Bardock explained, "It was placed in babies because it is then that our bodies can most easily adapt to it. A few children do die from the process but overall." Bardock shrugged.

"What a handy device." Gohan said as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "May have to get myself one of those some day. What about our friend?"

"What he told me was more of an explanation." Bardock started. He paused for a moment to adjust himself in his chair so as to be more comfortable. "He said we're a select chosen group, or rather everyone here but Vegeta and Trunks but they certainly wouldn't hinder us. Apparently he, it's a he by the way, and his sister are fighting over the multi-verse and we are his way of taking control of the multi-verse. I suppose we can consider ourselves as chess pieces so to speak. Gohan would be the King and Karreth a bishop. The Queen and several other pieces have yet to be collected, or rather they have yet to be brought together with us. Trunks and Vegeta would be considered rooks. On the outside but a force used to stabilized and protect the main pieces." Bardock explained, he had their undivided attention. Chess was a very popular game across their universe. The supreme kai's had played it often with one another and had spread it to the younger races. It was called by many different names but essentially it was the same game.

"And what about you?" Trunks asked, glad that some things were beginning to fall into place.

"This is like chess, but not exactly. It's slightly more complex as the pieces are spread over, let's say, four boards with each universe being a board. As one board is won by one of the two entities they can move those pieces to the next board or spread them evenly across the remainder. The entity we are under decided to move us as a group, maybe in consideration for our feelings, maybe because he thinks that with us all combined winning this universe will be much easier. But there's more than just that, it's far more complex. Winning a board doesn't mean it's a guaranteed. Should, lets say our side, lose on one of the boards our opponent can move pieces to the board our side had previously won, or our homeland and the fight for that one would begin anew. There is a great risk in our entity bringing us all here. Without any pieces on the other board all his opponent needs to do is bring a single piece there and it's lost. But to answer Trunks' question each side has one untouchable piece. A piece that is used to pass information to the other pieces on the boards. I am that untouchable one for our side, they have their own. That's not to say I can't die, it merely means that the other side can't actively search me out and destroy me. If a stray blast or sword takes my life… Well like I said, the game is complex. They don't control our actions; they just set the stage and certain conditions and let us play it out. What's more is that to prevent the game from lasting for an eternity there are only a limited number of pieces per side. Should one be taken out, it's gone for good." Bardock paused for a bit to let this information sink in.

Gohan sat back again, not noticing he had leaned forward during the explanation. He was going to ask a question when the food they'd ordered arrived making him change what he was going to say. "Let's finish this discussion after our meal." Gohan said.

There was a unanimous agreement as the saiyans dug into the meal with a ferocity that startled everyone in the room. The waitress barely had time to turn around and leave before they sat back, finished with their meal.

"Wow, that was good. I'm full!" Gohan said happily. He was right about his early guess. He knew the others would be confused as to why this food filled their bottomless pits like it was nothing.

"Surprisingly yes." Vegeta grumbled. "Even the 'juice' that was ordered for me wasn't bad."

Four jaws dropped to the floor. "WHAT!" The four yelled at the same time startling everyone in the common room.

"You can't be Vegeta!" Karreth yelled as she pointed a finger at him, "You NEVER compliment anyone about anything!"

"What?" Vegeta grumbled, a little embarrassed, "Is there something illegal about me complimenting something if it's justified?"

"I'll take that as a great compliment then." The waitress said as she finished gathering the dishes. She had never seen a meal cleared so fast, it had been a little shocking to say the least. With a small shake of her head she silently left the group to what they were doing.

"Anyways…" Gohan began, still shocked at Vegeta's words. Perhaps there was hope of turning him into a gentleman after all. Gohan thought and looked at Vegeta and saw the glare, Maybe not. He amended silently. "I was right about the food. I'll explain what I mean after Bardock finishes with his explanation." Gohan said.

Bardock smiled lightly, "Well, as I was saying if one of us dies, there isn't anyone coming to replace us. Which is why I believe that he kept us together. It's far safer in a group than not, and since we've been revealed we've become targets." Bardock stopped as Gohan opened his mouth.

"Do you know what we did in the last universe to 'win the board'?" Gohan asked.

Bardock nodded, "Yes, he told me that It was the genocide of the Aeesu-jin race." Bardock explained. Four pairs of eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected. "And it won't be the last time we commit genocide. That's the biggest difference between the two forces. Individually our side is far more powerful than theirs. But the other side utilizes an entire race of creatures so it balances out in the end. If you hadn't trained us as hard as you did than we would have lost that universe. You would have survived but everyone else would have died, including me. With me dead there would have been no way for the pieces to move from universe to universe. So you would be forced to sit and wait as the other side slowly won the other three boards and threw its forces at you until it wore you down to the point where you were easily disposed of."

"So we have to figure out which race doesn't belong in this universe and destroy it… great…" Trunks muttered. "We're all going to have one hell of a kill count by the time this ends." Trunks finished, trying to make light of the situation.

Vegeta rubbed his hands together greedily, "This is getting good." He said in excitement. "I'm glad I came!" Typical Vegeta.

"So, to win 'this board' we need to not only to figure out what race we need to destroy, but find it, and figure out how to get there?" Gohan asked in disbelief. This was not looking good. "A universe is huge and we don't have any means of traversing it." Everyone agreed with Gohan. This wasn't turning out to be quite what they had anticipated.

"I only know what I've been told although I would assume he brought us here for a reason. Meaning that either the race we need to destroy is on this planet, or there is something, or someone, on this planet with the means to travel elsewhere." Bardock said as he tried to assuage their concerns. "Well, he had a few other things to say. One was that he couldn't directly interfere with what we do because if he did then it would mean his opponent could as well and that would create a large mess they'd both rather avoid. I'm allowed to say this much because the other side already knows all of this. But what is good is that even though we don't know exactly who or what we need to fight, they don't either. They don't know who we are, or where we are, only that we are somewhere here in this universe."

Gohan sat back, once again not noticing that he had leaned forward. Despite the troubling news it was still rather exciting. He didn't really like being a pawn for anyone, but they were apparently given enough leeway in what they did that it wasn't too constricting. It's like they were given a destination, but how they got there or what they did on the way was entirely up to them. It wasn't quite so bad if it was put in that light. "Well, that's something at least. We can relax a little knowing our opponents won't suddenly jump out of thin air and backstab us." Gohan said wryly.

"Yes, you are quite correct. But they'll be as actively searching for us as we are for them so I wouldn't get too comfortable, or for too long." Bardock said. Suddenly he tilted his head as if he was listening to something. A moment later he nodded and looked at Gohan. "Gohan… he says he's sorry for what he did to you." Bardock said.

"Huh?" Gohan said, not quite understanding what Bardock was getting at.

Bardock sighed, "Apparently when he moved you from one time to another he tried to integrate you into that timeline but… It failed. It worked fine with Trunks but not with you, he doesn't know why as of yet." Bardock said.

"I'm still not totally understanding. Nothing is missing, I don't feel any different, aside from heightened senses…" Gohan said, obviously confused.

"The senses were simply a beneficial side effect." Bardock explained, "It wasn't supposed to occur but…" He took a deep breath. "When one moves through time their aging process halts until they return to their own time. The whole reason why time travel is so difficult is because you have to step outside of time. When you do that time loses track of you until you return to where you originally left, then it can start affecting you once more. He tried to integrate you back into the timeline so that time would once again see and affect you but it failed. You are now essentially immortal. You can still die due to unnatural causes, but you will never age."

Gohan's jaw had dropped now. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm immortal!? What the hell… great… today's just getting better and better." Gohan said bitterly.

Vegeta glared at Gohan enviously. "Damn! Now you're an immortal as well! Where is justice in this? You don't even appreciate this gift!" Vegeta growled in annoyance.

Gohan glared at Vegeta, "Shut it Vegeta. I'm not like you. I don't live for power. I will be forced to watch everyone I care about slowly age and die around me while I live on! I'll only be able to die if I take my own life as I'm too powerful for a disease to affect me and I've yet to encounter a creature that can even come close to matching my strength." Gohan breathed in deeply before sighing. "And I don't think I could ever take my own life…" He muttered.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Trunks said in confusion. "If time doesn't affect him then his cells shouldn't reproduce or anything. A cell grows with age and then divides when it reaches a certain growth stage. That should be completely halted! And if this was all true then it should have affected me as well when I went back to his time. I was hurt badly many times yet I healed meaning that cell regeneration took place. On top of all that we shouldn't have been able to do anything or affect anything!" Trunks protested.

Bardock shook his head, "No, it's not like that. He exists inside of time, so he can affect things, but time simply doesn't see him. It's like an invisible force is manipulating things. It's there, but you can't see it. And if time can't see it, it can't affect it. And you should know this Trunks, time has no affect on bodily functions, merely the length they occur for. As one ages the time each cell has to live decreases until it reaches nothing, but that part has been halted. Now each new cell has the same lifespan as the previous. Cells will grow, reproduce and die, but their life spans will never shorten. Even the amount of saiyan growth hormones his body produces has reached a plateau." Bardock explained, confusing both Vegeta and Karreth. They knew very little about biological functions and even less than time aside from them both existing. Trunks finally understood and Gohan was able to follow simply because he had read up on it a couple years before he started to go to school.

There was a moment of silence as everyone thought upon everything that had been revealed. Trunks, Bardock and Karreth felt sorry for Gohan but their thoughts were leaning more towards what Bardock had revealed about their situation while Gohan was fully in mope mode. To learn that he would live forever had completely changed his perspective on life. Now whenever he looked at a life form he could almost see it age and die before his very eyes. He knew it wasn't, and that it was just his mind playing tricks, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to look at things quite the same way as before. Vegeta though, he was slightly upset that Gohan was immortal instead of him but that was overshadowed by the though of facing multiple races of powerful creatures. His blood lust was already beginning to burn and he hadn't even encountered the creatures yet, or even knew what they were.

With an audible sigh Gohan broke the silence, "Well, there's no use in worrying about it I suppose. I'll just take it like I have everything else in life, right up the ass. Life seems to just 'love' dealing me the worst possible cards and then sit back and laugh." Gohan said in self remorse. "Well, if I ever come face to face with it I'm going to fucking drop kick it."

The others laughed at this, "You were about to say something about this place earlier?" Trunks asked.

Gohan nodded and placed his hands behind his head as he sat back. "The trees, the forest, the people, the food, the equipment, why we weren't allowed to bring anything except the basics… It's all because this place doesn't utilize technology at all. In fact it runs by an entirely different set of universal laws than our own universe." This produced more than a few pairs of wide eyes. "This place is purely magic. No technology at all. I've read books that talked about magic, it also talked about other fairy tale races like dwarves, elves, ogres and orcs to name a few. There were many different kinds, hundreds, thousands. I believe we've entered a universe exclusively dedicated to magic and magical creatures. Our universe held both with Babidi being an example of a creature that possessed magical skill and Majin Buu being a magical creation. I don't think I really need to give examples of technology." Gohan explained to the others. "The weapons and armor, I'm willing to bet they were all enchanted, hence why they were glowing. The robed figures were probably mages or sorcerers, people capable of casting magical spells. It would also explain how the trees were able to grow so tall, how the soil is so rich, how there's undergrowth but no sunlight because magic provides them with what they need. They don't actually use the soil to feed themselves, or if they do the soil is self replenishing. It also explains the food. I think the food acts differently then ours. Ours was based on whole numbers; I think their food is based on percentages. Like a steak will fill your stomach 50 of the way regardless of how big or small you are. A glass of water will fill you 5-10. I'm just making estimates here but it's the only explanation that I can come up with, and certainly not impossible by means of magical aide."

"You can't actually think we'll believe that!" Vegeta protested.

"It would account for all the weird occurrences that we have been experiencing and witnessing since arriving here." Trunks mused, drawing an incredulous look from Vegeta.

"Let's just believe what Gohan's saying for now. It makes everything fit nicely so let's go with it until it's proven wrong." Bardock added his assent. "It's not like we have anything to lose by believing it, and it sure beats trying to explain it based off the logic we're used to. I know I've been getting headaches just trying to sort out how the simplest of these strange occurrences work."

Vegeta grumbled but didn't say anything which meant that Vegeta had decided to go along with them for now. Gohan looked around the common room and noticed it had grown emptier. There were only a few people remaining at the visible tables, and half of them seemed to be passed out from too much alcohol. A look out through one of the numerous windows in the place revealed that it was now dusk and the main source of light now came from little balls of light that hung from the walls or floated gently through the room.

"I think we should figure out where we are sleeping." Gohan said, drawing the others attention to the emptying room and the darkening sky. "Unless you would prefer to sleep where you're sitting."

The five stood up from the table and began to cross the room. Beside the stairs was a room that had been moulded to resemble a small room with a counter stretching across the only apparent entrance into it. There was a man sitting behind the counter who quickly stood as he watched them approach. Behind him on the wall, or rather inside of the tree, were many hooks, some with a key hanging from it but most of them empty.

"I assume you'll want some rooms, am I correct?" The man said, "Of course you do, how silly of me. You wouldn't be here if you didn't need some. We have singles and doubles, how many of each do you want?" He asked but answered before they could respond, "Yes, yes of course, you'll want two doubles and a single. I'll get you the keys you need." He said as he turned and collected three keys from the hooks behind him, seemingly almost at random.

Gohan shook his head in amusement at this. They had just now arrived at the counter, just in time for him to hand them their keys. "Thank you." Gohan said politely.

"No problem, no problem. The rooms are all two floors up, side by side, well the doubles are, the single is across from them. Have a good night and sleep well." He said quickly.

Gohan nodded before he turned and ascended the stairs, the others close behind him. It was remarkable how smooth and gentle the staircase spiralled upwards. No technological machine could ever hope to match it. What was more though was that the wood felt warm, alive almost. There weren't any forms of heating in the building, not that they had noticed, but it wasn't really needed seeing how the tree itself provided warmth.

"What an odd fellow." Bardock mused.

"Very, it seems these elven folk are just as varied and different from one another as we are." Karreth said in amusement. Karreth looked up and just in time to see a key fly in her direction. She deftly snatched it out of the air before it hit her and looked up at Gohan. Bardock held a key in his hands as well.

"You're in the single Karreth, I'll take a double with Trunks, Bardock and Vegeta will share the other." Gohan said, answering their questions about sleeping arrangements.

They stepped out of the stairwell and onto the third floor, or they assumed it was the third if the common room was the base level. "Really Gohan? I thought you and me could share the single..." She said in a seductive voice.

"Yes, but we were given two doubles and a single, might as well put them to use." Gohan said, deftly evading the suggestion, "And a female needs a little privacy right?" Gohan said with a small smile on his face.

Karreth pouted for a moment before shrugging. It's not like she actually expected Gohan to just cave in and sleep with her. She'd have been suspicious if he had. They soon arrived at their rooms and, after a couple minutes of idle banter they wished each other goodnight and went into their respective rooms, locking the doors behind them.

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--oo-O-oo--

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The next day in the common room…

The common room was quite crowded this morning as the travellers that had stopped to rest the night here came down for their morning meal. The saiyans had once again claimed the table they had the previous night. They'd come down early to discuss what their next move was. The waitress, now accustomed to their eating habits, had patiently waited for them to finish their meal when she brought it, not that she was forced to wait long. There was a large myriad of people gathered in the large place, more so than the previous night. Either some had retired before they had arrived or some had arrived afterwards, and perhaps a little of both. The travellers were of all different strength levels, some ranging from as weak as Vegeta in his normal form to as strong as him in his super saiyan form.

"So, does anyone have any great ideas on where we should go?" Gohan asked as he scratched the top of his head.

"We could always ask around." Trunks supplied, "If this is a small city then staying here may not be particularly worthwhile. Why not try and find a larger city. More people mean more information."

"Hopefully one with a better welcoming crew than this place." Karreth said in amusement.

"I don't care where we go! There just better be something exciting there, like fighting and killing." Large sweat drops dripped down everyone's face. Typical Vegeta.

"So which large city should we go to?" Gohan inquired, "There are at least five or six huge cities, some of them far larger than anything we've ever encountered in our universe."

"The closest one obviously." Trunks replied.

Suddenly Gohan frowned and looked just slightly beyond and to the right of Trunks. "I know you're there. There's no point in staying invisible." Gohan said suddenly.

"Very well than, but I have a suggestion." Said a beautiful and musical voice. A voice filled with power and wisdom, one that drew immediate attention from everyone who heard it.

The air behind Trunks shimmered as a figure appeared before them, standing not more than a foot behind Trunks. Gasps and cries of exclamation echoed through the room, indicating to the saiyans that this person was someone of importance. But Karreth immediately became jealous, especially with the way she was looking at Gohan. She was exceedingly beautiful, with a perfectly formed body with just the right curves to satisfy anyone's tastes. She had light golden skin and with a small mouth, pert nose and emerald green eyes that was framed by fine, golden hair that hung down to her waist in waves. She was dressed in a soft white robe that went down to mid-thighs and left the arms bare. It was cut low enough to show ample cleavage of perfectly formed breasts. Her fingers were dotted with several rings and her neck with chains and necklaces, each looking as if they were worth a king's ransom. Soft white slippers adorned her feet and several anklets could be seen around her ankles.

"Well, you certainly aren't your average elf." Gohan said in mild interest, "For one you're far stronger than these peons." Gohan said as he indicated to the people within the room. "Stronger than Trunks even."

"But not stronger than you, am I correct Gohan?" She finished for him, a small smile still gracing her face.

Gohan shrugged, "In raw power I exceed you, yes, but you're far older than I am, probably older than even Kibitoshin. So in the area of experience, and perhaps skills and talents you exceed me. Also your power comes from a slightly different source than my own." Gohan replied.

"Ah, always the gentleman I see." She said in amusement. "You are curious how I know of you?"

Gohan shook his head, "No, the supreme kai said he'd been talking with some of you. Which makes me believe that you are the supreme kai, or at least a kai, of this universe. And since you are here, instead of sitting up there laughing at our helplessness, that you've decided to aid us in some fashion." Gohan said, logically sorting through the pieces of the puzzle.

She smiled brilliantly at him causing Karreth to glare at her. She turned to look at her, "You seem to have a problem with me little one. You may claim he's yours, but until he accepts you he's fair game for anyone, including those such as myself." Eyes widened across the room and more than a few gasps as well. Karreth however grew red with embarrassment and anger.

"Why you!" She started, standing up violently as she clenched her fists.

"Karreth, stop, you attack her and you are dead. She'll kill you before I have a chance to step in." Gohan snapped at her. She looked at Gohan, her eyes pleading, before she sat back down, but not before giving the goddess on last glare.

Musical laughter echoed through the room as the goddess laughed at the situation. "I've forgotten how amusing these mortals are. Do you not agree Gohan?" She asked with an arched eyebrow. Not getting a response she shrugged, "No matter. I'm not about to gobble you up, or even try for that matter. You're a little to rough for my tastes anyways. I'm simply here because your supreme kai however, DOES interest me." She replied in amusement.

Gohan smirked for a moment before he fell into full blown laughter. The others looked at him as if he was insane, or at least until he opened his mouth and spoke, "He doesn't know does he?" Gohan said, still chuckling to himself. "He better start running, or perhaps it's already a little late for that. But I thought supreme kais couldn't transcend their own universe?"

Finally it clicked into the others and smiles and smirks graced their face. "You are quite correct. A supreme kai cannot transcend their own universe, but I am not a supreme kai. I'm a goddess, and one that you said before relies on a different source for power. He may not be able to, but I can. We don't out of courtesy but there's nothing stopping us from travelling there and affecting things." She grinned and shrugged before she continued, "But hey, I'm just as much a woman as she is." She said as she pointed at Karreth. "I have my needs as well, but I need someone of equal rank and status." Her smile dropped as a look of pity and sadness overcame her, "Besides… he's been through so much that he deserves someone. We've been able to handle any problems that have arisen here just fine, but our problems might as well be nothing compared to the horrors he's had to live through."

Gohan nodded, "Yes, I know what you mean. With creatures like Majin Buu…" He trailed off as she shook her head.

"No, Majin Buu was nothing, merely an aftershock to an earthquake compared to what went on before. Most of it happened when Shin was still a child. You knew that there were four Kaioshins and a Dai Kaioshin but… How do you think they came into existence? One female and four males? You know that at least 15 generations of them have existed, perhaps even more. Where were their parents? Siblings? Friends? Their race? The kais that you have aren't true gods like we are, they don't live forever. They're just a supercharged race… a race that nearly went extinct. A race that will become extinct in a couple million years when Shin dies…" She drew a deep breath and finished, "Well, you understand now. Majin Buu was nothing compared to what happened before. Majin Buu was just an old tool left over from that war. Bibidi didn't create it per se, he merely repaired it, gave it a few extra abilities like regeneration and the ability to hide it's power, but put several limiters on it's complete power so he could remain in control. By the time he finished it was technically his creation as it hardly resembled the original, but it was based off a different weapon."

Gohan stared at her in surprise, "I didn't know… he never said anything… how do we know what you're saying is true? And you DO realize everyone is listening to this conversation." Gohan pointed out, indicating the numerous pairs of eyes transfixed on her.

She shrugged, "Let them, they have no clue as to what we speak. They'll simply pass it off as godly knowledge, something they can't ever begin to fathom. This isn't too far from the actual truth. It is, for the most part, godly knowledge and they'll never be able to fathom it." She replied. She didn't care if they heard; if she had to she could just erase this discussion from memory. "As for how I know… It becomes lonely being by yourself. All he had was his assistant to speak with and you've met HIM before. He's not much of a conversationalist. We traded stories often, although it was generally him lamenting on his past, wishing he was more powerful, and just this past discussion, wishing he had known about the saiyans true strength. When we talked he told me all about the 'saiyans' and their amazing powers, how they've always been able to rise to the challenge, never backing down, never giving an inch and always coming out on top in the end. How they possessed powers beyond even that of his kind, beyond that of my own and my brethren. I didn't believe him, not at first, but now that I've seen you… I'm beginning to see exactly what he meant. You all possess absolutely astounding powers, especially Gohan and Trunks. But what's even more breathtaking, is the potential you all have. The weakest among you has the ability to exceed the greatest of the gods… It truly is something to marvel about. What makes me curious now though is how such a race could be created in the first place. It cannot be because of a natural occurrence."

Gohan was truly surprised at this, much like Bardock and Trunks. They really had not expected this kind of praise, especially not from someone as powerful as her. Karreth was practically smirking, looking like a cat that had just gotten into the cat nip. Vegeta was looking rather smug with his chest swelled with pride and his ego exponentially increasing.

"I thank you for the compliment but…" Gohan looked over at Vegeta, "We had nearly popped his ego and then you drop by and swell it by several times!" He said in mock anger.

She laughed at this before giving him a brilliant smile, "He's young, let him have his ego. But this isn't why I came here. I got side tracked a little I suppose." She said as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I came here to give a suggestion. There is, on this planet at least, a super city." She said, "It's large, population exceeding a billion people, and its home to every major race this planet has. It's at the juncture between the four racial boundaries. I suggest heading there. You'll find what you're looking for, as well as several other interesting and possibly useful information and items. Just fly above the tree line, you should be able to see it. After all, it extends from the ground all the way up into the clouds. It's taller than any mountain on this planet."

Their eyes bugged out, "You're kidding!" Trunks gasped out, "That shouldn't be possible! Even with the strongest alloys the city should have collapsed in on itself due to the weight!"

"The gods probably helped construct it." Gohan said, "Lending their magical abilities to make it so it DOESN'T collapse. You should have expected this Trunks. Nothing else in this universe has made much sense to us."

The goddess nodded in agreement with Gohan, "Yes, you are quite correct; there are also always two of us there at any given time checking over it to make sure it doesn't collapse. We really don't want a billion deaths on our hands because we weren't taking proper care of it." She replied. She unfolded her arms and waved, "I may or may not see you later. I just came down to give a suggestion, and to see if what Shin had said about you was correct." And then she was gone.

"How convenient" Bardock murmured to himself but everyone heard just fine, "Just when we were looking for something to do, or some place to go. Look who shows up and gives us exactly that. I wonder if the other side has people doing the same thing."

Gohan stood up and looked down at Bardock, "Let's assume that they do and keep a sharp watch. Our little 'vacation' has officially ended. Now that we have a direction to go, let's get to work." Gohan said. The others agreed and soon they were shooting up through the many tiered city startling many of the citizens as they passed. It wasn't everyday one witness five people sheathed in a strange and unknown light fly past them at speeds exceeding anything they thought possible outside instantaneous teleportation.

As they ripped through the tree tops and appeared above they quickly found their target. The goddess was right, there was absolutely no way they could miss it. It could easily be the size of a small province. The five of them exchanged looks, if they had only flown above the trees instead of running through the forest they could have gone straight there instead of spending the night in that small city. But then, they'd have never met the goddess or gleaned some additional information about Kibitoshin. Without saying a word Gohan blasted through the sky with the other four close behind, their aura trailing behind them.

It took them far longer to get there then they had originally expected. The city was so huge that it appeared much closer than it actually was because of its sheer size. Despite flying close to Vegeta's top speed it still took them the majority of the day to get there, and all the while it slowly grew larger and larger until it encompassed their entire field of view. The sheer size of the city was mind boggling. It was almost impossible to think a city could be this huge. When the goddess had said it was home to over a billion creatures they had thought she was exaggerating, but now they weren't so sure. Words couldn't describe its size and they briefly wondered just how anyone found their way through that place.

In time they eventually did reach the city but it took awhile, most of the day it appeared, and they had been racing against the setting sun. They weren't sure exactly how long it had taken them; they weren't allowed to bring watches or any other kind of automated time keeping. As they finally reached the city itself they were confronted with the daunting task of figuring out just where the hell they were supposed to go.

The city stretched from the ground and soared all the way into and above the clouds. Up near the cloud line a barrier of sorts could be seen, as to what it was for they had no idea but one would imagine it was to keep the air density within the city equal to that of the lower elevations. The city itself though, was beyond anything one could have possibly imagined. It defied all logic and reason. There was a huge central column with many walkways, streets, boulevards and buildings jutting off from it. This was the semi-normal part. The sheer size of the central column was staggering, being nearly a full four kilometers in diameter. It was the rest of the city around it that truly defied all logic. Sure, boulevards and streets ran off it in all directions, but nothing held them up. No supports, no beams, nothing. They just floated there as if suspended by an invisible force, which they were. From these streets other huge buildings, although no where near the size of the central column, towered into the sky also not visibly supported by anything. This wasn't all though, while some buildings were attached to the streets, others simply hung in midair by itself. What's more than this was that plant life and other forms of vegetation could be seen lining boulevards or stretching down the center of the street, apparently without any or roots. At this Trunks simply scratched his head in disbelief and threw logic out the window. It was apparently not going to do anything for him except cause a headache. The city though, despite its massive size, was not a disorganized mess that one would have thought. It looked as if the entire city had been constructed all at once, or its expansion had been planned out at the very beginning so the makers would know exactly what to put where and how. There was certain logic to the layout of the city which was slightly comforting to the saiyans as it gave them something to grasp onto. The city had many tiers, more then they wanted to count, but it was set up in a certain logical manner that was nice. Every hundred meters there was another inner tier, where the small buildings were constructed. This isn't to say that the inner tiers were the only place the smaller structures were located, but it was where the majority of them were. Every five hundred meters there was a middle tier, or rather the inner extended outwards half again as far where the medium sized buildings were located, or the ones between a hundred and five hundred meters tall. And every mile there the middle tier extended outwards even further, and this was where the titanic buildings were located: The buildings between five hundred meters and a mile high. The smaller structures were still there, in places, but it was dedicated almost entirely to the largest structures.

"Well, we're here Gohan. How the hell do we find anything in there?" Trunks asked as he waved his hand through the air indicating the titanic city.

"Let's just grab someone and demand answers!" Vegeta suggested.

"And who would we ask brother?" Karreth replied, "And what answers do we desire? We can't simply ask them what we should do. That'll just get us strange looks."

"We're already getting strange looks." Trunks pointed out, indicating the various people staring at them in curiosity.

"You've been rather quiet Gohan." Bardock remarked, peering intently at his grandson who seemed to be lost in a daze.

"Follow me, quickly." Gohan said and a moment later he was shooting through the air towards the city, angling slightly down and to the right.

The others exchanged odd looks before they chased after Gohan who seemed to pull away from them no matter how hard they attempted to catch up. Thankfully the aura trail he left behind made his path more than easy to follow. They all wondered just where Gohan was headed as they entered the city and began to dodge citizens that entered their path. Down and around buildings they flew, in and out of traffic. It was becoming increasingly difficult to follow Gohan as the crowd of people began to hide the trail. There were far more people capable of flight, either due to spells or magical equipment, than they would have anticipated, and far more than they liked.

After a few minutes of flying they sensed Gohan slow down and stop completely. Around another building they went and found Gohan, along with several other elves, some looking very angry. The saiyans settled down just several feet behind Gohan, close enough to show their support but not close enough to really add to the situation. Now that they had settled down they realized they were on one of the inner tiers, within several feet of the central column to be exact, on one of the many boulevards the extended outwards away from the main pillar. A large crowd had begun to develop around them.

There was a group of five elves that was consisted primarily of males, all of which were exceedingly powerful. Nothing compared to Gohan or Trunks, but one or two of them could probably beat Bardock at his maximum. Four of the five males were dressed in expensive looking armor wearing enough weapons to outfit an armory and all of it was glowing and humming. Some of them were so powerful that they literally gave off a life force of their own despite being inanimate objects. The last one was wearing a long robe of what appeared to be soft blue material. It swirled around the elf like it had a life of its own and it was one of the items that gave off its own life signature. There were strange writings covering the sleeves and hem of the robe, and each letter was visibly glowing. It was this person that Gohan held in his grip, or rather he held the elf's wrist in a firm grip that even the gods couldn't break.

Aside from the group of five elves, there were two others, both female and the older one of the two looking much like the mother of the younger, that they were confronting. The older woman was dressed in just a regular green tunic and white trousers with a few pieces of jewelry adorning her neck and fingers. The younger of the two though really caught their attention. She was beautiful, not like the goddess they encountered, but beautiful in her own right. She was a slight elf, standing only 5'10" tall with flowing golden hair and golden skin. She had emerald green eyes and a small mouth with natural ruby red lips. One thing that caught their attention was her ears. While they were pointed, they weren't nearly as long or tapered as the other elves they'd encountered suggesting that she was a hybrid, or that one of her parents had been. She was wearing a sleeveless blue gown that stretched to her feet. It was held up by a soft, velvet belt at her waist and four straps, two on either side, that went over either shoulder and had clasps at the top. The neckline stretched down ending just slightly above her perfectly formed breasts giving a hint of cleavage but hiding the majority of it. She wore no jewelry aside from a pair of earrings that chimed when she moved her head. What caught their attention was her power. She was easily twice as strong as anyone there, yet again with the exception of Gohan and Trunks at his maximum, and Karreth could have sworn she saw something glow on her forehead for a brief instant.

The five male elves that had been glaring at Gohan began to shift their gaze to the other saiyans and back again. They were not happy; this was most definitely not going to end pleasantly…

To be continued…

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A/N: There, slightly larger than what I wanted but it was good enough. Close to where I wanted to end it regardless. May or may not make the next one a long and drawn out fight, simply because it's in the middle of a crowded city and I'm not too sure I want Gohan and the others to bring the entire place crashing down QUITE yet. I might though, depending on what everyone else wants. So, do you want to see a fight between Ki and Magic that'll rock a city or should I save it for the chapter after, regardless the chapter after WILL have fights, multiple fights. And fights that won't threaten the safety of over 1 billion people :).

A/N: I changed how time actually works in my story from the way it actually is in real life. Stopping time actually doesn't have any affect on bodily functions, or at least slowing it down doesn't slow down bodily functions because bodily functions work at a constant rate, and time isn't necessarily constant. Confusing? Don't worry about it unless you're going to take a physics major in university. Also time isn't really an entity but I made it like one. Forget about the scientific stuff and the way it is in our world because if you compare real life with my story you'll go 'huh?'

A/N: Oh, and I explained about Kibitoshin like that because I was always curious as to where the other Supreme Kai's had gone. Seemed ridiculous to me how it was possible for 15 generations to exist with so few people. There must have been at one time an entire race. Despite what one may believe, you need more than 2 people of opposite genders to keep a race going. There would be so much incest that genetic defects would destroy them within 3 generations, if not then soon after. And the 4 supreme kais and the big supreme kai were so radically different from one another that it's stupid to think that they're even remotely related. All they shared was skin color, and I'm not even sure about that.


	12. Chapter 11: Sapphire

Response to Reviews:

Dany le fou() – ya, no frying pan, and they won't ever encounter one either. There aren't any stoves in the magical area, and they're far to advanced in the others to be using frying pans. Sorry about that, hehe. And oh yes, there are going to be some, hopefully, entertaining confrontations between the various females. But oh man... You should see what I'm gonna do to Vegeta... HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... ahem... sorry... And hmmm... Heroic Fantasy.... Not quite sure what that is, so if I do write it, it's more than likely accidental and yes magic here will rival ki energy... because ki energy is what powers the magical spells. In the fantasy worlds that I've read in books magic came from an external source. Like one always had to tap into something and channel it into themselves before they could manipulate magic. This universe is different, their magical spells aren't fuelled by an external force, but by internal life force.

Cash – I might elaborate on the weapon, might not. It doesn't really have anything to do with my story but if I tried I may be able to find some way of fitting it in. Maybe just as a side tidbit for anyone curious... hey... that gives me an idea for another story... Anyways about the fight, I've decided. There will be a fight, but yet again... there won't be. Just read and you'll see. And yes, you are quite correct. A piddly little number like a billion lives is nothing I really worry about. In my other stories I was tossing that many deaths out at the shake of a stick.

Yodey() – no, I didn't mean 4'10. I meant 5'10. Slight doesn't have to mean small, it could also mean slim or slender. Both of which talk about her width, not height. And most elves are over 6 feet so she is technically small being under the six foot mark. Elves are generally tall, yet slender, creatures. Taller than humans, but not quite as bulky (in general). About the fight, you'll have to see. You must remember, even if the elves have power levels in the millions they don't have techniques capable of penetrating crusts of planets and causing them to explode like Gohan and the others do. Gohan can take out a star if he tried. You are correct, if anyone but Gohan fought in the city it'd survive but... Gohan's in a whole different league than everyone else, except perhaps the gods.

This is response to your second review Yodey. Anyways, this isn't an x-over. The 3 universes are completely original. There may be similarities, but that's just because I take ideas from other places. There is no direct relation between the 3 other universes and any other anime/book/whatever you've seen/played/watched. As for Bardock and Trunks well... Bardock already has a mate, he won't ever get a new one, so there won't be any for him. He'll just brush the girls off saying he's taken. As for Trunks. Just wait and see, hehe.

Thel33tness – well the reason I put all that extra stuff in is that I have all these ideas, but none are REALLY enough to make an entire story out of so I try to combine as many as I can into each story I DO make. It may seem like it's making the story longer, and it probably is, but I'm just trying to cram as much as I can into each of my stories as possible. I'm not gonna ever over do it like Robert Jordan, that's just insane, but you understand right? I won't be able to do EVERYTHING I wanted but, I'm going to try and get as much as possible out there. And could you give examples about surface details I'm leaving out? I take it's nothing like 'I'm not showing enough about what's happening there and now' because if I did that it'd make it even longer than what it currently is.

Inuyasha142 – Well... neither Karreth nor Vegeta are Queen/King. It's undecided at the moment. And Gohan isn't really the one for spotlight so whoever DOES end up with Gohan won't be in any major position of authority that's easily recognizable. So if Karreth gets with Gohan, she's not Queen. If she doesn't. Then she'll be Queen unless she dies. Who knows, perhaps Vegeta and Karreth will have joint rulership. Just wait and see.

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**Chapter 11: Sapphire**

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The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. If looks could kill, Gohan would be a blood smear on the wall, but then again, the look Gohan was returning was so violent that it would have smashed their look and torn the elves apart. In other words it was like comparing anger with murderous rage. There was no comparison.

"Who do you think you are?" The robed elf snarled out. He noticed the monkey like tail and snarled. "Let go of me this instant you monkey tailed freak."

Gohan glared at him with such fury it was surprising that one couldn't reach out and touch it. "You were about to hit her, for no reason. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your head from your shoulders and shove it down your neck!" Gohan snarled back.

"I am one of the Grand Mages, to harm me is to bring the wrath of my entire province down upon your head!" He snapped back. His anger dissolved at this proclamation. "Now, unless you wish to die or spend the rest of your life serving as my personal slave... I suggest you unhand me." He said, now perfectly calm.

Gohan let him go, but moved to stand between him and the young elf. "I suggest you leave." Gohan said quietly, his voice now sounding more deadly, despite how impossible that seemed. "I let you go, she doesn't want you here, and neither do I. Running a province is hard work, don't you have work you should be doing?"

"This IS work related! I need a woman worthy of my station, and she has the looks to qualify for that. I want her, and I will have her. It is, after all, an honour to be chosen by one such as myself." The elf said smugly.

Gohan tilted his head to regard the young elf, "And I take it you want nothing to do with him?" He inquired and she nodded quickly in agreement. Gohan turned back to look at the robed elf. "I see, wow, must be 'such' an honour." Gohan said sarcastically, causing the other to turn beat red in anger. "It looks as if she doesn't want anything to do with you, so why don't you run along and find someone else, rather then molesting those that would rather choke and die on their own tongue then have anything to do with you."

You could literally hear the teeth grinding as the other grounded his teeth together and glared at Gohan with such venom he should have melted on the spot. Gohan however stood there unflinching, not even batting an eye. He was, after all, used to far worse. The other four saiyans exchanged looks, there really was only one ending for this. They just hoped Gohan knew what he was doing. "I won't be stopped by you!" The mage snapped out, his anger overriding all reason, "I WILL HAVE HER! I HAVE WAITED TOO LONG, NO MORE!" He shouted.

In the blink of an eye the other four saiyans flanked Gohan on either side with Trunks and Vegeta on his left and Bardock and Karreth on the other. "I don't think so." Gohan snarled back.

"Your little friends won't save you!" The robed elf yelled.

"They don't need to, not to deal with scum like you." Gohan retorted and stepped forward. The boulevard cracked under his foot causing some not so good sounds to echo through the suddenly still air. The robed elf's guards exchanged looks. That wasn't a good sign. Another step and another crack, this one larger. A third step and Gohan's foot sank into the stone a little causing vibrations and ominous crackling sounds to echo through the air as the enchantments strengthening and holding the boulevard up began to buckle under Gohan's power.

It was at this time that the crowd realized that this probably wasn't the best of places to be and decided that they wanted to be elsewhere. They slowly began to clear away, taking their time making sure no one was hurt or trampled in the process. A fourth step and a frightening boom ripped through the air as a massive crack snaked its way across the entire width of the boulevard. The slow, stately 'let's go somewhere else' walk suddenly turned into a stampede as everyone without the capability of flight suddenly turned and fled everywhere but where confrontation was.

The grand mage wasn't looking quite so confident anymore, and neither were his guards. At the fifth step part of the boulevard sank down as a white aura slowly began to whip around Gohan. The boulevards were created by the gods and were thought to be indestructible, up until this point anyway. A sixth step and Gohan was standing face to face, eye to eye, with the grand mage and the elf knew terror. There was something deep within Gohan's eyes, something that shook the elf to his core. It was the same thing Vegeta saw, but magnified by many times. It was nameless, no word could describe it. It was beyond mortal comprehension, but there was one tangible thing, terror. All whom came upon the receiving end of 'it' suddenly realized what true terror was all about.

"Leave..." Gohan hissed in a voice so dark, so frightening, that it made the deepest pits of hell appear welcoming. The grand mage knew only one response, flight. His body wouldn't have stayed even if his mind had commanded it to, but his mind was in full agreement. He turned and fled as fast as he could, through his guards and up into the air. His mind was too irrational and terror ridden to even consider teleporting away. He simply flew off as fast as he could. The guards glanced at the ruined boulevard, their fleeing master, and then Gohan's eyes before they, too, fled as fast as their magical enchantments could take them.

Gohan breathed deeply and turned to the others, a happy smile on his face. "Well, I'm glad that's over with." He said cheerfully as he walked back to his friends, completely ignoring the ruined boulevard. The entire confrontation hadn't taken more than five minutes yet it seemed like much longer to Gohan and the others. Gohan stopped in front of the two elves and smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't think they'll be bothering you again."

The younger of the two smiled back and dipped her head a little, "I thank you very much." She replied. Her eyes twinkled with merriment, "I'm not sure what you did to him but I am very grateful, he's been bothering me for quite some time."

"It was no problem, I sensed you in trouble and I came." Gohan said cheerfully. His eyes widened for a moment and he grinned sheepishly once more. "Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Gohan." He said.

She smiled back at him, "Nice to meet you Gohan, I'm Sapphire. And this is my mother, Emerald." She said while indicating to the woman slightly behind her who was looking back and forth between Gohan and the slowly regenerating boulevard. "Who are your companions?" She inquired.

Trunks stepped forward and stood beside Gohan, "I'm his best friend, Trunks." Trunks said with a small smile.

Bardock just raised his hand a little, "Bardock." He said.

"I'm Karreth." Karreth said as she stood on Gohan's other side. She looked and sounded pleasant, aside from the hard look in her eyes. She was beginning to feel slightly inferior with all the beautiful women that seem to be appearing around Gohan lately.

"Hmph, the name's Vegeta, and don't forget it." Vegeta said smugly.

"Aww what a cutie!" Sapphire said as she bent to look Vegeta in the eyes, flashing him a brilliant smile.

"CUTIE!?" Vegeta roared.

"All children are cute to some degree." Gohan surmised.

"CHILD?!" Another yell resounded through the air.

"Yes I quite agree." She said as she stood. She brushed a few strands from her hair. "Umm... Why exactly did you rescue me?" She asked curiously.

"Well..." Gohan started. He peered intently at Sapphire for a moment before he gently pressed a finger to her forehead. There was a brief flash of light and Gohan retracted his finger. "That's why."

Sapphire's eyes widen in surprise, surprise that transformed into happiness and relief. With a musical laugh she jumped into Gohan and hugged him tightly. Gohan was caught off guard but managed to catch himself before he was forced back a step. Gohan was blushing slightly as he awkwardly patted her on the back, not quite sure what to do. Normally he wouldn't have minded but he was only too aware of what the two things pressed into his chest were.

After a moment Sapphire raised her face and slowly touched his. There were tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. "I... I've been waiting so long, hoping that you people would arrive before they did." She stepped back, and held Gohan at arms length, smiling a beautiful smile. "You have no idea how happy I am." She whispered.

Gohan smiled back, "Well, I suppose that saves a little bit of explaining." Gohan said with a grin. "Since you apparently already know who we are, you probably know why we are here, and what we have to do."

She nodded and smiled, "Sapphire, these are the ones you kept telling me about?" Emerald asked curiously, peering intently at them now that the boulevard had been completely restored.

"Yes mother, now I don't have to hide anymore." She said happily, bubbling with energy. "I had to hide my power; I didn't want anyone else to know who I was, not until it was too late for them to do anything." She replied and turned to look at her mother, "You know what's been happening lately. All of the strongest people have either disappeared, or gone missing for a time and returned completely changed. The Grand Master was a perfect example. Sure he always pursued me but he always respected my privacy, my decisions, he was simply persistent. Yet this time he was intent on forcing me, it was completely out of character."

Emerald nodded in agreement and smiled happily at her daughter, "That's good news at least." She said and turned to Gohan, "You'll watch over my daughter won't you?"

Gohan nodded, "Don't worry; we won't let anything happen to her." He assured Emerald. He bent his head forward and scratched the back, "But uh..." Gohan was at a loss for words, not quite sure how to phrase it.

Thankfully Sapphire helped him, "We're about to sign up for the tournament. It happens once every decade here in the grand city of Il'Vanath. It's the greatest tournament on the face of the planet. There are no restrictions on race or power. Everyone can sign up. Each person is separated into the category they are most skilled at, whether it be with swords, axes, animals, fists, magic, everything. My mother convinced me in coming here, and now I'm glad she did." Sapphire said happily, "Why don't you join us. Show everyone your skills."

Gohan glanced at his friends, "Well? What do you guys think?"

"Do you even need to ask Gohan?" Trunks said with a smirk.

Gohan chuckled, "I suppose not." He replied and turned to Sapphire, "Yes, these four will participate in the tournament."

"You're not?" Sapphire asked curiously, a little put out.

Gohan nodded, "It wouldn't be fair. I could probably challenge the gods and win, how is anything mortal going to stand a chance against me?" Gohan asked and shrugged his shoulders, "Besides, you should always keep your trump card hidden. They'll think I'm weak because I'm not in the tournament. No one will ever suspects it's the opposite, well anyone who wasn't just here at least."

Sapphire pouted, she half wanted to see Gohan in action after the taste she saw earlier. She sighed and then brushed some hair out of her eyes before she grabbed Gohan's hand and began tugging him towards the huge central spire. "Well then, come along, today is the last day for registration and we don't want to miss that now do we?" She asked with a huge smile and her eyes twinkled with merriment.

Gohan smiled back helplessly and allowed her to drag him along. The others were quick to follow, Karreth with a scowl on her face.

When they entered the central column they were astounded by what they saw. The boulevard they entered on extended the length of the inside, circling around a large crystal cylinder at the very center of the column. The cylinder extended the height of the column and was connected to countless other locations via small crystal like tubes. The smaller tubes all split yet again as they approach platforms that extended outwards from the main boulevards at regular intervals. What mystified the saiyans the most about the crystal tubes were the sparks of light that flashed through them at super sonic speeds. In addition to the cris-cross of boulevards and crystalline tubes were huge structures that seemed to either float in mid air or were attached to the sides of the column. There were countless windows and, at times, long strips of clear glass, in the structures giving hints to what lay within. Despite the structure being fully enclosed it was as bright inside as it was out, in fact there were no shadows, as if the light originated from every point all at once.

Sapphire stopped pulling Gohan and turned to regard everyone, "Since we can all fly I think it'll be easier for us to fly to our destination. There are usually long line ups for the teleporters. Relatively few can fly in comparison to the number that can't." She said.

"Just lead the way." Gohan replied with a smile.

She returned it in full, "Follow me, I hope you can keep up because the registration is still a few miles away." She said as she lifted into the air.

The saiyans smirked; they could circle the planet in an hour if they went full out. "Don't mind us." Gohan said, as he settled beside her, "Set whatever pace you like and we'll keep up."

The group shot through the air at breakneck speeds. They twisted and turn around crystalline tubes and boulevards on their way up through the massive column of Il'Vanath, heading for the registration for the tournament. There was only a single access to the registration area, and that was only accessible by those that could fly. It had been proven countless times in the past that flight could very well enable someone to beat an opponent a dozen times stronger. So flight became a requirement to join the tournament, any means of doing so was alright. Despite this restriction there were still countless applicants for the tournament, and none were turned away. It was open to all with the minimum requirements, and the desire to fight, and few turned down the chance.

Some joined for fame, others for money, others for reasons obscure and unknowable. No matter the reason for joining the rewards were tempting enough that virtually everyone wished they could participate. The top four competitors in each category all received rewards for positioning. The winner gained the most lucrative rewards as well as title of strongest while those ranking just behind him/her also got rewarded, although not quite as handsomely. This led to people of all ages, races, and disciplines signing up. The rules varied depending on the weapons being used or in some cases if both competitors agree to the same terms. This made the matches unique each and every time.

Competitors were allowed to watch all the matches excluding the ones from their category. This was to give the competitors the joy and entertainment of watching others battle while at the same time preventing them from analyzing potential rivals and develop strategies outside the battlefield to deal with them. The referees and judges were up in among some of the most powerful beings on the planet, some of them even gods who've come down to enjoy the matches themselves.

Needless to say the arena was huge and when it came into sight, it was all they could see. It filled the entirety of the column. The main central crystal cylinder served as the main entrance but countless others pierced the massive structure at various other points. These were used by the wealthy and the powerful, serving as their own private entrance into the arena grounds and allowing them to bypass customs and, more importantly, the massive crowds of commoners. In addition to these avenues of entrance four boulevards softly spiraled upwards around the main crystalline cylinder into the arena as well, looking very much like a quadruple helix DNA strain, and serving as yet another route for people to enter the massive structure. Oddly enough there were four, evenly spaced out balls of, what appeared to the saiyans, weird writing. They were each easily several hundred meters in diameter and created a perfect square beneath the arena. The purpose they served was obviously important, but just what exactly it was they had no clue.

The entrance they needed to go was easily spotted; all they had to do was follow the procession of other beings that wished to fight in the tournament as well. It eventually ended at a small, small in comparison to the others as it was easily large enough to allow a dozen people through at any given time, opening in the bottom of the arena. On the way there Emerald said her goodbyes and shot off towards the main entrances. Although she had the requirements for entering the tournament she knew she stood little chance against her daughter so opted to enjoy the battles from the sidelines in opposition to first hand experience. Gohan went with her, as he had decided earlier that he wouldn't be participating, and their goodbyes were short, promising to rejoin after the others had signed up. The registration area was for competitors only.

As the group passed in through the registration entrance they entered a huge room filled with competitors and arena officials bustling around to get everyone signed in as fast as possible. The saiyans were silent as they walked through the large crowd of people to take their place in a short line, all the while sizing up potential opponents. The amount of power packed into such a relatively small place was almost mind numbing to Vegeta, Trunks and Bardock. It was worse than the war against the Aeesu-jin, there may have been more people then, but the sheer strength of those here, and the number, created a significant difference. The saiyans kept exchanging looks; looks filled with excitement and anticipation.

Eventually they reached one of the counters. The official sitting behind the desk peered up at Bardock, "Hmm, what weapons do you fight with?" He asked.

Bardock smiled, "Hand-to-hand combat, as well as some long range mixed in." He replied.

The official nodded and jotted down something on the paper before him. He turned it around and handed a quilted pen to Bardock. "Alright, please sign your name at the bottom of the sheet and that'll be it. This is a form indicating that you agree that we will not be held responsible for any injuries, fatal or otherwise, that you sustain during the battles. There will be an announcement in several hours calling each category to a specific area. You'll receive further instruction then."

Bardock nodded as he bent down and signed the sheet. Karreth and Vegeta soon followed after him, also signing into the hand-to-hand combat category. Vegeta's haughty look and tone, as well as his age, caused the official to raise his eyebrow a few times.

The official looked Trunks once over before he wrote something down on a fourth sheet of paper. "I assume from the sword strapped to your back that you'll be participating in the swordsmanship category."

Trunks nodded and signed the sheet, causing the other three saiyans to breathe a sigh of relief. They weren't entirely sure if Trunks was going to go into the hand-to-hand combat or fight with his sword. Now they at least had a chance of coming first.

"I'm here for..."

"I know, we've been expecting you this year." The official said, catching her and others by surprise. "What? Did you really think you could keep your progress a secret? Many people are looking forward to seeing how spectacular you truly are." He said with a genuine smile.

She smiled back and signed her name down at the bottom of a pre-prepared sheet. "How did you know I was going to come to this exact desk?" She asked curiously.

"We didn't, we saw you enter though, and had your paper delivered to the desk you stopped at." He replied.

"I see." She said with a smile, "Then I shall try to not let anyone down."

l-l

--oo-O-oo--

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That night...

"Gohan!" Karreth shouted, catching said saiyan's attention. "Where've you been all day?" She asked. Just slightly behind her strode the others that had signed up for the competition.

"Following Emerald around." Gohan said wryly, tossing a glance behind him.

Emerald was talking to someone across the counter, arguing to be more precise, what exactly they were arguing about was unclear. They were in a large, domed area. Four huge pillars soared upwards and help up a crystal ceiling that filtered a soft white light into the room, banishing virtually all shadows. The pillars were magnificently sculptured, every inch of them detailed in some form or another. At the base of each pillar was a small grassy bed of flowers, capturing those picturesque meadows perfectly. In the center of the room, equally distanced from each of the pillars, was a large fountain depicting four gods and goddesses. Water sprayed out from mouths and eyes of the statues forming a nice cascade of water that flowed down into the center of the fountains base. The floor was covered with tiles of white marble that glowed softly from the light that filtered in. Benches lined the fountain and flower beds, and could also be seen at various places by the walls. The entrances were all located either on the north end of the room, or the south, leading to either the stands where the spectators sat, or the waiting area for the competitors. A few doors were set in the eastern wall, giving access to the sleeping corridors if one were to take shelter at the arena. The western wall held a bunch of desks that provided anything from rooms, to information on locations or various events that were happening.

"What's she doing?" Karreth asked as she stopped in front of Gohan.

Gohan simply shrugged in response.

"Perhaps she's getting us rooms." Sapphire said.

"That's a possibility." Gohan said as he turned to regard Sapphire's mother. "She appears to be tearing that clerk a new asshole. I can't hear what they are saying due to the noise in this place but from the pale skin and frightened look on that poor man's face..." Gohan trailed off.

Sapphire sighed, "Mother..." She said to herself. "She always does this. Thinks I deserve the best and demands that I get it. She's probably trying to get us the best rooms for the cheapest price."

Vegeta smirked, "Well, we DO deserve the best! After all, I'm in this group." Vegeta said smugly.

The other saiyans just held the heads and sighed while Sapphire looked at him questioningly.

"Don't bother asking Sapphire, you'll just get a headache trying to understand." Gohan said, trying to assuage her curiosity.

"Alright." She said happily with a smile. "Here comes my mother, let's ask her what she was doing."

As it turned out they didn't need to ask, Emerald was all too willing to tell them. "I was just getting us rooms." She said, "I was only able to get us a suite. It has two washrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a lounge, an entertainment complex, a simulation sphere so we can watch the fights from the lounge and six bedrooms, one being a double. I wasn't able to obtain a seven bedroom one, next time I'll do better."

Gohan blinked in surprise, "That's quite alright. I'm sure the suite will do just fine. Vegeta can bunker down with Trunks." Gohan said.

"WHAT!" Vegeta roared. "I'm NOT sharing a room!"

"Let's check our rooms out." Gohan said, "So we can drop our packs off and rest for the night."

"HEY!" Vegeta yelled, "Didn't you hear me! I'm NOT sharing a room!"

"Come on Vegeta, I promise not to bite." Trunks said as he picked Vegeta up carried him like a rag doll.

"Hey! No! Let me go! Unhand me you brute!" Vegeta yelled as he squirmed in Trunk's unrelenting grasp.

l-l

--oo-O-oo--

l-l

After an hour of walking...

"Where the hell is the damned place?" Vegeta yelled, now moving under his own volition. Trunks and Bardock had decided to end his whining and yelling by saying they would share a room and he could have his own. Vegeta had quieted down after that, until now anyways. They'd been walking for an hour and the doors and hallways that branched from the main one just seemed to keep appearing, like an endless sea. They were all getting tired of walking; Vegeta was simply the most vocal of them all.

"It's not much further. We need to find room A.245.F40. It should only be 140 doors more." Emerald said as she glanced at the key. There were seven keys in total, one for each occupant of the room."

"140?! What the hell is this? The Hallway of Endless Doors?" Vegeta yelled.

"Yes, yes it is." Emerald said.

Vegeta's jaw dropped for a moment before he closed it and glared at her. "You're joking right!" Vegeta growled.

Emerald shook her head. "No, I am not. There are a collection of pre-made suites, generally the high quality ones like the one we're going to, but if they need any extra rooms they just create them on the spot, so theoretically this is an endless hallway of doors because the owners can generate as many as they like."

"Well, that's handy." Trunks mused, "You can never become filled; you always have room for more. Great for business, you're able to advertise that you can guarantee space for anyone, if they have the money to pay that is."

Sapphire smiled, "Not even money is required for some. The owners also accept favors, trades, and sometimes nothing if there is a valid enough reason. But it does stand to reason that the more you pay, the more you get. So if you get a room for free, don't expect much more than a room with a bed and a door that can be locked."

Ideas began to churn within Trunks' head as he tried to process various ways of creating such a structure. The possible income it could generate was astronomical. You'd have a monopoly on temporary, and even permanent, residences.

"Ah, here we are." Emerald said as she stopped in front of a door. There, on a gold and platinum plaque in the top center of the door was the number A.245.F40. Emerald unlocked the door and went in.

"It's about time..." Vegeta grumbled as he stomped into the room and the others were quick to follow.

It was just like Emerald had said; it was fully equipped with everything. The washrooms and bathroom were fully stocked with soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, face clothes, everything. The kitchen had all the utensils and utilities required to make a full course meal for seven. There were multiple chairs and a large couch in the lounge; even the rooms were fully equipped with desks, dressers, and a perfectly made bed with scented sheets. All one had to bring was themselves and the clothes they would wear. Everything else was provided, even food.

"How can you be disappointed with a place like this?" Gohan asked Emerald.

"Well, like I said, we got a double; I was trying to get all singles." She replied.

Gohan just shook his head, "Don't worry, this is fine. We've been in far, far worse before." He assured her, "I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm going to get some rest. I suggest you get some as well, you'll have your matches tomorrow and you don't want to be tired for them."

l-l

--oo-O-oo--

l-l

The next day...

"And for our fourth hand-to-hand combat battle of the day, we present to you all two new competitors." The announcer said, his voice easily reaching everyone who's watching. "The first of the two new competitors is a human by the name of Gorin, he's fast, he's strong, and he's never lost a fight. He's well known from where he lives, having battle and defeated anything and everything that has threatened his village. Facing off against him is a small child with a spiky hair style. Not much is known about this young fighter, he just suddenly appeared one day out of nowhere and signed up. It's obvious he packs a punch, but whether or not it's enough to beat Gorin is another story, now without further ado, let the match begin!"

"I'm going to smash you into a pulp!" Gorin shouted, "You may have been strong enough to enter the competition, but don't think for a moment you have what it takes to become the champion."

Vegeta simply yawned and looked at his opponent with a tired, lazy look on his face. "I may be worried if I was faced against Trunks or Gohan, but against weaklings like you..." Vegeta shook his head. "I don't see why I need to even try."

"Why you little runt!" Gorin yelled, and disappeared. A moment later Vegeta was flying back as a massive punch was slammed into his cheek. The small body slammed into the ground and bounced a couple times before it, too, disappeared. A moment later a punch slammed into Gorin's face.

To Vegeta's surprise it only knocked the human back a step, and that moment of shock was all Gorin needed to plant his foot into the side of Vegeta's head. There was a loud crash as Vegeta slammed into the wall of the arena. Before Vegeta could get up a spin kick slammed into his stomach, picking him off the wall and launched him across the arena to slam harshly into the ground. Vegeta slowly picked himself off the ground and glared at Gorin.

Gorin charged at Vegeta once more, hoping for an encore but just as reached Vegeta the young prince jumped out of the way with surprising speed and left a little present behind. Gorin's eyes widened as a the small ball of energy exploded before him and launched him back the way he had come. Gorin flipped in the air and halted himself to glare at Vegeta, or rather he tried, he ended staring into the end of a energy wave. With a shout of surprise the energy wave slammed into his face with bruising force and carried him into the side of the arena before detonating.

When the smoke clear Gorin slowly stood, his body singed in many places as he glared at a smirking Vegeta. "What the hell was that! What are you? A mage?" He shouted.

Vegeta shook his head, "No, it's a martial arts technique. I don't use magic, don't know how to, don't ever want to learn. Why learn such useless parlor tricks?" Vegeta replied.

Gorin snarled, "I'm not without my own tricks kid, prepare to learn first hand why I can't lose!"

Gorin held up a hand and concentrated for a moment. His form seemed to shimmer a bit before he lowered his hand. With a smile Gorin charged.

And Vegeta threw an energy blast at Gorin who merely smiled in response. Vegeta was about to fire another when suddenly he was hit from behind, hard. He tumbled through the air before he slammed into his own energy blast, causing it to explode. Vegeta got up and glared at Gorin, only to be punched in the face from the side sending him careening into the arena walls once more.

"Fuck!" Vegeta spat out as he glared at Gorin once more. His young mind began to quickly process what was transpiring. Whenever he concentrated in Gorin, he was hit from somewhere else. A punch slammed into his face, causing him to skid along the wall before he gripped it and halted himself. Vegeta's thought process finally realized what was happening, and a quick location for Gorin's energy signature confirmed it. The image was an illusion; Gorin was using it as a distraction.

Pleased with himself at this discovery, he quickly set into motion a plan that would make the most of it. Vegeta charged at Gorin's illusionary image once more, and sensed the real Gorin coming up behind him fast. Just as Gorin was about to punch Vegeta, the prince of all saiyans bent down, gripped the ground, and spun like a top. Gorin, moving at the high speed that he was, couldn't stop in time and was hit four times in the hips breaking the illusion and sending Gorin for a trip.

Gorin twisted in the air and halted his moment just shy of the wall, but it didn't really do all that much, because before he could react two feet had planted themselves firmly, and rather violently, into his face. Blood sprayed through the air as Gorin's nose was mutilated and his head violently smashed into the arena walls. Vegeta was never one to really let up, so before Gorin had even finished slamming into the wall Vegeta had begun another attack, a barrage of fast, furious punches into the taller mans abdominal region. Now the head that was violently slamming backwards into the wall, flew forward as his torso slammed into the wall.

Vegeta continued the long barrage of punches confident of his victory, until Gorin surprised him kneeing him in the face. Vegeta's violent rain of punches came to an abrupt end right there, as did his impromptu flight into the air as Gorin slammed his forehead into Vegeta's face as he delivered a titanic blow to the Vegeta's chest, launching him through the air. When Vegeta landed he didn't bounce not once, or twice, but five times before he skidded into the wall on the opposite side of the arena.

"Get up kid!" Gorin said as he stomped across the arena, "I'm going to destroy you for ruining my face!"

"I'm going to ruin much more than just your face!" Vegeta snarled as he stood on two shaky legs.

"Hah!" Gorin shouted. "I dare you to try it!"

Vegeta smirked and blasted towards Gorin, kicking of a cloud of dirt in his wake. Vegeta shot towards Gorin's and threw a punch at his face, only to have Gorin slam his two fists right into his afterimage. Gorin's eyes widened in surprise, and than in unforgettable pain as Vegeta's foot forever removed the larger mans ability to have children. With a loud crack and pop that made males shudder all over the world in sympathetic agony for Gorin's family jewels which were just reduced to a pulverized sack of ruined flesh.

"Ummm... I think males all over the world felt that one..." The announcer said, his voice pained, "I know I'm supposed to be impartial but I think most would agree that, that blow was a little... excessive."

Gorin's eyes held inexpressible pain as he held his groin, nothing he had felt before, or would ever afterwards, compare to the pain he was feeling at that moment. Waves upon waves of agony rippled through his body as his most sacred of places was torn apart.

Vegeta smirked for a moment a raised his fist and threw what he figured would be the final blow, only to have it halted in its tracks by a thoroughly enraged Gorin. "You little prick! I'LL TEAR REND YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" He roared as he gripped Vegeta's hand tighter and whipped the younger man into the ground with ground shaking force, but Gorin didn't let go. He ripped Vegeta from the ground and slammed him back down again, and again, over and over a dozen times before letting him.

Gorin stepped back for a moment and nodded to himself before looking up at the judges booth. "The little shit is down, you'll need to get him medical help..."

"Shut it!" Came a growl from the ground as Vegeta began to slowly get up.

"What the hell are you made out of?" Gorin gasped in surprise, any normal person, even one his strength, would have been out after that.

"The only way you're going to win..." Vegeta started as he stood up erect, "Is over my dead body!" He yelled.

"If that's the way it's going to be, then so be it!" Gorin growled.

Vegeta simply smirked back at him.

"What are you smirking about kid?" Gorin said, warily looking at Vegeta, prepared for any surprises.

"Oh nothing, it's just you're a little stronger than anticipated, but nothing I can't handle." Vegeta said, "I'm going to transform, and end this."

"Transform?" Gorin asked, suddenly confused, transformations were only capable of being performed by mages. "If you can transform then you're in the wrong group!" Gorin shouted.

Vegeta smirked, "Oh, I think not. It's a racial transformation, it's not restricted to a class of fighting, but rather to a race of beings." Vegeta explained as he tightened his fists and began to concentrate.

Wind began to blow as the energy deep within Vegeta began to manifest itself into a tangible energy source. With a grunt Vegeta began to yell as he summoned up more and more energy. The wind began to swirl around him, becoming visible as it kicked up the dirt from the floor of the arena. It looks as if four miniature tornados were circling around his small frame. The yelling grew louder, and louder before an ear piercing scream ripped out from Vegeta's lungs. A shockwave joined the scream, kicking up a cloud of dust around Vegeta and ripping Gorin from the floor of the arena and tossing him back several meters before he was able to halt himself. The shockwave would have slammed into the crowd except the magical shield erected to protect the spectators kept them from harms way. When the smoke cleared there stood Vegeta, in his full super saiyan glory. His normally obsidian black hair was spiked even more harshly, and turned a brilliant yellow color as an almost tangible aura of gold surrounded his small frame. His muscle mass had noticeably increased, and hardened. It was obvious to all, even the least experienced in combat, that Vegeta's power had substantially improved.

"Now, let's see how you stand up to a super saiyan." Vegeta growled his voice now deeper and much more menacing. This did not go unnoticed.

"WHOA! Now THIS is a light show! Vegeta has just transformed himself into some strange glowing thing!" The announcer shouted out in excitement.

"What the shit did you do to yourself?!" Gorin gasped out.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with. I'll end this quickly." Vegeta said and disappeared.

A loud crack echoed throughout the arena as Gorin's arm bent in an unnatural way. Bone fragments literally shot out from the arm and scattered across the arena behind the human. Gorin had been able to raise his arms in time to block the blow, it had saved his life, but not his left arm. With a shout of agony Gorin held his shattered arm with his good one and stared at Vegeta in fear. It appeared to Gorin as if death walked within that small body, his death.

A moment later it was over. A loud boom echoed through the arena followed by a sickening cracking noise and ending with a squelching sound that really does not sound all that healthy, and healthy it was not. Vegeta's fist and arm had entered and exited Gorin's torso, causing a spray of blood to gush form the ruined body. Vegeta quickly withdrew his arm and jumped back as three clerics immediately appeared on the scene. The prince of all saiyans had intentionally avoided all vital spots, but without treatment, the kind Gorin was now getting, he would still have been a dead man.

Silence had engulfed the crowd, except for a single groan emitted from a lone saiyan sitting beside an elven woman. "Oh great Vegeta, NICE way of introducing us... Ugh..." Gohan groaned to himself. "Oh well, maybe we can avoid large crowds if they think we're all psychotic warriors."

One of the clerics that were kneeling beside Gorin raised his head and nodded towards the judges. A loud cheer echoed through the arena as news of Gorin's survival reached them. The final blow wasn't fatal and he would apparently make a full recovery. With that confirmed the crowd was all for the brutal and violent ending.

"Well there you have it folks! Vegeta has won his first match. This newcomer has shown incredible strength, durability and skill. If he is this powerful at this young age, he'll be a force to recon with when he matures into a full adult. Watch for more of this incredible youth in later rounds of the tournament!"

The crowd roared its approval and Vegeta left the arena with a very smug look on his face. This is what he lived for; battle and recognition of his fighting prowess.

"Well, that certainly wasn't expected." Gohan said to himself, "I was half afraid this place would riot at such a violent ending."

Emerald laughed, "Don't be silly Gohan. That's the normal way things end here. There have been matches that have ended far more violently, many of them with death or worse. This is what the crowd came to see. A great fight, coupled with a great ending. That transformation of his really set the stage. Others will have a hard time trying to match it."

Gohan raised his eyebrows, "Are you sure? That was rather dull in my opinion, we have far flashier ways of ending a match... but also far more deadly."

"I don't think Bardock will be one for flashy endings, but Karreth and I will more than likely do so." Trunks said, as he was sitting on Gohan's right.

"How can you get flashier than that?" Sapphire asked from Gohan's left.

"You'll see..."

"Alright! Let's get onto the next match!" The announcer shouted, "Here we have an experienced veteran against another newcomer. The veteran needs no introduction. Finishing fifth a decade ago he wishes to rise further to the top, finishing first this year. He has spent untold hours training both his mind and body for this tournament. Does Vitaro have the ability to claim the position he has trained so hard to get? His opponent is none other than Karreth. We don't know much about her, but we do know that Vegeta, the fighter that won the previous round, is her little brother. Does she have the strength and ability that her younger sibling does? Let's hope so, because she'll need every ounce of it and more if she wishes to win this match!"

Vitaro looked Karreth up and down, a grin creasing his face. "My, you're more fit for my bed than my opponent. If you wish we can tango there instead." Vitaro said with a grin.

Karreth made a gagging sound and looked as if she was about to throw up, "Please, no more, I have standards, and you fall far short of them. I don't want to take such a weakling to bed. My mate must be stronger than me!"

Vitaro grinned, "Then I shall have to force you..." He was halted violently as Karreth slammed her fist into his face. Pissing off a female is not a good idea, especially not one with the power to destroy entire planets. Vitaro rocked backwards to receive a double fisted blow to his neck, slamming him roughly into the ground.

Just as he hit the ground a foot planted itself squarely into his face and began to grind him into the ground. Vitaro began to show signs of rising from the ground but Karreth would have none of that. With a violent kick the groin region yet another male was involuntarily neutered. Only this one did not simply crush them, it also launched their owner across the arena.

"OH MY GOD! What a brutal way to start the match!" The announcer shouted announced, "Obviously men can take a lesson from this. Pissing off powerful females is hazardous to ones health, and ones reproductive capabilities."

Karreth shot off after Vitaro only to be hit as Vitaro quickly halted himself and counter-attacked before Karreth realized what was happening. Karreth's scream was cut off shortly as Vitaro gripped her head and slammed her into the ground. He lifted her face and spat at her.

"You bitch! I should have known you'd try a stunt like that! After what I heard your brother did to Gorin... you and your brother should be dead!" He snarled at her.

She grinned, opened her mouth, and blasted Vitaro with an energy beam at point blank range. With a shout of pain Vitaro released his grip on Karreth, which was a bad idea has he got another kick to the balls. With a girlish scream Vitaro was lifted into the air by the powerful blow before he was hammered back down into the ground.

Vitaro slowly picked himself off the ground only to be whipped backwards as both a yell and wind kicked up around him. Vitaro stood back up only to be blinded as a brilliant yellow light filled his vision, followed by a shockwave that slammed him into the wall of the arena. "What the fuck!" Vitaro exclaimed as he gazed at Karreth. Like Vegeta she had undergone massive changes to her body. She no longer looked like a beautiful woman worthy of bedding; well she did, but only if one enjoyed sleeping with death. Her eyes had grown hard, hard enough to make obsidian look soft.

"I was going to draw this out, and give the audience a good fight, but you aren't worth their time, and you aren't worth mine." Karreth growled, her voice taking out a definite chilly quality. "I'm going to permanently imprint your face into the wall of this arena, as a warning to all men who try to think of me as a sexual object!"

Vitaro's eyes widened in surprise as Karreth disappeared only to reappear with her fist planted in his stomach. Vitaro doubled over in agony as spit flew from his mouth but retaliated quickly, he hadn't placed fifth a decade previously for no reason. He used the momentum and kept going forward, over her arm until he touched the ground. With his legs he wrapped them around Karreth's neck and bent back as he launched himself into the air. He flipped a couple times before he landed on his feet, with Karreth's face planted firmly into the ground.

"What was that you said?" Vitaro said smugly from his position above Karreth.

Her only response was a muffled roar, a roar that soon became more audible as the ground beneath Karreth compressed and/or incinerated due to the high heat and pressure Karreth's body suddenly began to give off. Without warning Karreth's energy shot out from her, heading upwards, and coincidentally encompassing Vitaro in a whole new world of pain. Vitaro's body was launched upwards as it did a graceful arc before landing again several meters from Karreth.

By the time Vitaro had landed Karreth had regained her footing and had begun to slowly walk towards her opponent. She wasn't done with the lecher. As Vitaro slowly began to pick himself from the ground he felt himself treated as a soccer ball as Karreth booted his head as hard as she could. There was a loud crack as Vitaro was launched across the arena back into the wall he had just left a few minutes earlier.

Vitaro pried himself from the wall and glared at Karreth, only rather his view was blocked just like Gorin's, by a rather fast moving and powerful energy blast. The detonation lit the arena up as a large cloud of smoke and fire billowed out from its epicenter. A cry of pain echoed out from the center of the blast radius, easily heard over the din of the explosion. Followed by more explosions and more cries of pain as Karreth threw blast after blast at her defenseless opponent. Something had occurred to her during the fight. In hand-to-hand combat her opponent was equal to her, but he had no true training in ki manipulation and had no defense against sheer ki based attacks like energy blasts. He was horribly vulnerable to such attacks.

Her eyes widened in surprise, she had been lost in thought there and now she couldn't hear the cries of pain any more, which either meant he was dead or. A loud boom sounded throughout the arena as Vitaro's fist connected with the side of Karreth's head. Karreth had sensed the attack at the last moment and had avoided getting her skull smashed in, but the blow still hurt like hell. There was going to be a rather large bruise there in the morning if it wasn't taken care of. Vitaro on the other hand was not in very good condition. His torso was naked to the air and was covered in scorch marks with a couple of shallow abrasions in the skin.

The next assault she blocked with her forearm and retaliated with a straight punch to the face which was promptly grabbed and held in place. Karreth lashed out again, but not at his body like Vitaro had anticipated, but rather the elbow of the arm holding her fist. There was a not so nice crunching sound as the elbow bent in a direction it was most definitely not supposed to bend in. Needless to say Karreth's fist was let go rather quickly.

"I don't think elbows are supposed to bend in that direction!" The announcer said, commenting on the fight, "How will Vitaro fight back with only one working arm?"

"Like this!" He shouted in response to the announcers comment and his shattered arm elongated. The sight of the broken arm suddenly becoming as malleable as putty shocked her long enough for said arm to shoot forward and wrap itself around her body, confining her arms to her sides. A moment later the body followed and Vitaro wrapped his other arm around Karreth's neck and pulled her tight to his body in an attempt to squeeze the life from her.

"Give up woman! You won't be escaping this time!"

"Never..." She spat out. Her eyes began to glow a brilliant yellow color, "**KAITEN!**" She roared and spun.

Her life force shot out from various points on her body giving her just enough breathing space to begin to turn, and once begun there wasn't much that could stop it. With hurricane force winds Karreth's energy whipped around her, ripping the ground apart and ultimately doing the same to Vitaro's grasp on her. A shout of surprise was quickly followed by one of agony as hurricane force winds battered his body hard enough to make it seem as if he was being pierced with thousands of daggers. But as soon as it began it was over, and Karreth's opponent found himself sliding brutally along the ground halfway across the arena.

"Wow! Karreth broke out of Vitaro's famous binding technique! It was that ability that had allowed him to progress as far as he could and was only broken by the previous champion in the quarter finals!" The announcer screamed out, excited at this new turn of events.

"Where the hell did she learn that?" Gohan asked in shock, this was a skill he had never seen before. He could do it now, now that the skill had been shown to him. It was relatively simple to pull off, as long as one had excellent ki manipulation skills that is.

"She's been training outside that of what you taught her." Trunks replied, staring down at the arena with surprise as well, albeit not quite as much as Gohan, "I saw her practicing that skill one day, but it was no where near as powerful as what she just did here, I'd assume it was to impress you."

"Well, I'm impressed." Gohan said.

"Fucking bitch." Vitaro spat out as he slowly stood. Vitaro's right hand began to glow a soft white color for a moment before he quickly slammed it into the ground burying his arm up to the elbow. A rumble shook the arena floor as the ground beneath Karreth morphed itself into a giant hand. Karreth gapped at it for a moment as shock overtook her for an instant, and that was an instant too long as the stone hand grabbed Karreth. It slowly rose higher into the air carrying a struggling Karreth with it until a giant stone hand and forearm was sticking up from the ground.

Vitaro grinned at Karreth, "I hope the pressure isn't getting to you." He said smugly as he tightened the muscles in his buried arm. Karreth screamed as the stone hand clamped down on her body even tighter, making it feel as if her bones were being pulverized.

As her body adjusted to the new pressure she glared at Vitaro, "I... hate... stupid... PUNS!" Karreth roared as her aura erupted around her once more. Her roar grew to deafening proportions, only to be outdone by the loud boom that resounded throughout the arena as the stone hand shattered into a million pieces.

The transformed stone completely broke apart as a pain wracked Vitaro ripped his arm from the ground revealing nothing more than a mangled mass of flesh where his hand had once been.

"That's gotta hurt!" The announcer said as he regarded the ruined mass that was once Vitaro's right hand.

"Not as much as this will!" Karreth roared as she blazed over to Vitaro faster than anyone could see. With a vicious round house Karreth slammed her foot into the unprepared face of Vitaro. One could almost see the face deform as portions of it were pushed to the side while the rest didn't move, well that was until the force of the blow reached the rest of the body and Vitaro found himself bouncing uncontrollably across the arena floor.

Before her opponent had even finished bouncing Karreth slammed a knee into the back of his neck, ending both his tumble across the arena and the match. With a very unhealthy sound, akin to that of bones snapping, cartilage ripping and muscles tearing, Vitaro found himself out in the first round of competition.

"And I think that about wraps up this match." The announcer said satisfaction. "Not sure about the rest of you, but that definitely sounded like a finishing blow to me. If Vitaro can move after that, it had better be in the direction of a healer because I really do not think that it's too healthy to have your vertebrae exposed to the air."

Gohan sighed as he ran a hand through his head. '_Typical saiyan brutality'_ he thought sadly. You'd have figured he'd be used to it by now, especially considering how he, himself, becomes when battle adrenaline overcomes him.

Unfortunately for the saiyans in the crowd Bardock didn't show up after Karreth's match. However, that wasn't to say they weren't entertained by what they saw. Many great fights occurred before their eyes and they marked more than a few that would cause problems for their saiyan friends who were competing. One female in particular finished her match almost before it began. Whether it was because her opponent was weak or she was just exceptionally strong one couldn't tell, not unless they had the ability to detect power levels. She was strong, easily on par with Bardock at his maximum; far too powerful for Karreth or Vegeta to handle but Bardock would stand a fair chance. Not only was he the strongest of the three, he was also the most battle scarred and intelligent of the bunch.

It was getting late in the day when the match they'd been waiting for was finally announced.

"Here we have it folks! The third last match of the day! It's between two rookies this time, and little is known about either one of them. Bardock is the first of the two; he's a companion of the other two golden haired transformers seen earlier in the day, Karreth and Vegeta. He looks much older and much more experienced than those two, could he possibly be even stronger? We'll find out sooner or later!" The announcer yelled out excitedly. "Matched up against him is Oganadon, a huge brute. Standing nearly seven feet tall he easily dwarves his opponent in size. But we've seen earlier on that strength isn't necessarily the key to victory. Now, let the match BEGIN!"

Oganadon let out a huge roar before he charged forward. Bardock's eyes widened from surprise and his jaw dropped. Not because his opponent was that fast, but because he was that slow. A baby saiyan could probably out run him.

"I KILL YOU!" Oganadon yelled as his fist rocketed towards Bardock.

Bardock shook his head and simply jumped back, but not far enough. Oganadon was incredibly strong, far stronger than him, and it showed when the ground below where Bardock had been pulverized, sending cracks and fissures outwards from the epicenter. The epicenter expanded into a crater that kept enlarging as the energy from the swing exerted its complete force upon the ground and that fly keeps hitting my light, brb, gonna fucking kill it, it's pissin me off.

Anyways Bardock was thrown back several meters, by the shockwave that rippled outwards from crater, where he landed on his feet and skidded another couple meters.

Bardock straightened and looked at the judges' booth. "He said he was going to kill me, he tried to kill me, so I'm assuming he wants to modify the rules to allow for killing. I agree with this, as someone this moronic shouldn't be allowed to live in my opinion so is that alright?" Bardock asked calmly. His voiced carried easily to all ears in the stadium due to the way it was constructed.

A couple of moments later a little blue light flashed in the judges' booth signaling that the rules had been adjusted.

"Good, good, time to end this here and now." Bardock said to Oganadon, pissing off the larger creature.

"YA YOU DIE!"

Bardock shook his head, "You're too stupid to even see straight, this is an insult pairing me up with someone like you. I would give the crowd a show, but what sport is there in beating the tar out of someone who probably had help getting into his clothes. I'll give the crowd a show, when there's a show worth giving. Prolonging this would just hurt theirs, and my, intelligence." Bardock said calmly.

"WHAT YOU SAY!"

Bardock sighed, "Oh dear, I forgot, you probably lack the vocabulary to understand what I'm saying. Anything more than one syllable is probably too complex for you." Bardock said as he held his right hand up.

"**KIENZAN**!" He yelled and a bright yellow disc appeared above his head, a disc that was spinning at super sonic speeds with edges so sharp they could cut through virtually anything.

"Here you stupid idiot!" Bardock yelled, "CATCH!" He roared as he threw the disc.

Oganadon, proving to be as stupid as Bardock said raised his hands to catch the yellow disc that was buzzing towards him.

"What's this!? Are they playing catch?" The announcer said in confusion. "I thought this was supposed to be a martial arts competition! Where are all the punches and kicks?"

Oganadon clamped his hands together as fast as he could and caught the disc between his hands, keeping far away from the edges. "HA HA! ME GOT!" He yelled at Bardock triumphantly.

"Idiot, think I'd let it end this easily?" Bardock asked quizzically. "**BUNRETSU!**" Bardock yelled, and the disc split apart into a dozen smaller versions. Needless to say Oganadon's hands disappeared into bit sized chunks of bleeding flesh and shattered bone.

With a shriek of agony Oganadon stepped back, unable to comprehend what had just happened. One moment he was holding the disc, the next, it had divided itself into a dozen smaller versions, tore his hands to pieces, and were now currently hovering around him. Around him... He stared at them in fear, knowing now the destructive cutting power they held, yet they couldn't move, because of his bulk any attempt to move would end up with him losing some part of his body.

He quickly turned his head to stare at Bardock. "No kill me!" He begged.

Bardock's eyes hardened. "SHUUREN!" Bardock yelled, and it was over. The dozen smaller kienzans shot forward, and ripped through Oganadon's body like a hot knife through butter. His shriek of agony was short lived as two discs ripped through his skull, tearing apart his brain and forcing blood to spray from all the orifices on his face. His body didn't last long. That giant body was soon shredded into a mangled mass of flesh and bone that no longer resembled anything.

Bardock looked on for a moment, his face betraying no emotion. "Bakuhatsu." He said, no longer feeling the need to yell. The discs all converged into one spot, directly above the mass of flesh where they exploded into a fiery ball of death that incinerated the remains of Bardock's former opponent.

"I-I... don't know what to say." The announcer said. "That has got to be one of the messiest wins in the history of our tournament. You can't get much worse than turning your opponent into a pile of dripping, gooey something or other. And that was all with one special ability. Bardock sure has shown that he has a few tricks of his sleeves, and that his tricks are not all one dimensional. And since earlier in the match killing your opponent was approved of... Bardock goes on to the next round of competition." The announcer finished.

"I think he improved on our technique Gohan." Trunks said.

"You think?" Gohan replied. "I expected it though; he's a genius after all, like me. You didn't REALLY think I got lucky did you?"

"You've been becoming awfully full of yourself lately Gohan." Trunks eyed his friend in worry.

Gohan frowned, "I know... and I don't know why. I've been just attributing it to me becoming a full saiyan again but... I get the feeling it's more than just that."

Trunks nodded and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be here for ya, especially if I need to knock some sense into you."

"Thanks Trunks."

"Anytime."

To be continued...

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A/N: There, the chapter is complete at last, hope ya like it.

A/N: You may be curious as to why I called the A.245.F40 a number, it is, and it's just in hexadecimal. The .'s aren't actually decimal points, it's just a separator. The first number is the floor, the second is the hallway, and the third is the room number. The numbers are based on when they were created, not their relative position to the entrance. A is the 10th floor made, 245 is the 581st hallway created on the 10th floor, and F40 is 3,904th room created in the 581st hallway. Ya, I know, a lot of rooms, but in a place that houses over a billion people... Those rooms fill fast, even faster during tournament time as everyone from the outlying cities come as well.

A/N: You may recognize some of the techniques I'm using, I promise not to use TOO many from any one source but some are just TOO cool to keep confined to one anime/game/whatever. I find using a few from other places adds spice, but if you add to much it becomes too spicy and doesn't swallow all that well, so I'll try to keep the spices and herbs I used mixed, and not use to much of any one :). Hope that makes sense to everyone. Making my story sound a lot like cooking...

A/N: Also, I want an opinion from everyone, should I speed up the tournament? Because to be honest there is no real plot value to it. It's just there so that the saiyans can get stronger and one or two other things that are loosely linked to the plot but don't REALLY need to be said and, if I did speed it up would still be included regardless. Speed up as in I show just first and last fight of each of the saiyans and Sapphire.

A/N: Sorry for the long update, can't help it, school is pissing me off because the work load is just so fucking insane it's... insane. I'm going to crash really hard this weekend, crash as in complete mental and physical shut down (except for what's necessary to live). Don't know when next chapter will be out, but don't expect it before Christmas because I can't guarantee any time to work on it until after this semester is finished. I only finished this one because I managed to get most of it finished (like 95 percent of it) before the major workload hit me so it just took 30 minutes to wrap up. Ya I know, it took me a month to find 30 minutes of spare time to finish it.

A/N: Please don't ask me to update, it's not like I HAVE to write and you telling me to update is like telling me what to do and that's not something I like. I'll get the story done, don't worry. The chapters will be out when they're out and screaming 'UPDATE NOW!' will not help to get them out faster. Giving me critical reviews, praising certain parts, or critiquing others, that will help. Screaming 'THIS SUCKS!' also won't help. It'll just make me want to drop kick you. Although no one's said that yet so... Kinda odd in my opinion. Ah well.


	13. Chapter 12: Humility

A/N: These chapters have been getting a little long so I'm going to try and shorten them. Simply because it makes for faster updates. 10k words per chapter is way to much. Takes too long to write. So I'm going to try and chop it in half, go with 3-5k words a chapter. That's how I started anyways.

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Unknown reader – Yes, I have decided to speed up the tournament. I realized something. This tournament serves no TRUE purpose in my story, it's more of a 'power up' for the saiyans than anything so I'm just going to do the first and last battle for each person.

Limar – Sapphire is an elf, pure elven. As for why Gohan is acting like that... heh... There's a reason and I got a couple of them kicking around, just gottawait and see how the story unfolds myself and choose the one that fits in the best.

SSGohanStrife – The answer to your question will be revealed in this chapter.

Inuyasha142 – Ah, that's what you meant. Bardock wasn't giving off the true positions, not really. Vegeta and Trunks weren't supposed to come originally, hence why they're the 'outside pieces' Kinda a helper, a buffer, to keep the main ones alive. Bardock's is the untouchable piece, yes, and Gohan the King, but that's all that has been finalized. The Queen will be whoever Gohan chooses, the knights will be Vegeta and Trunks' mates (yes they both get one.) And the bishops will be the extra pieces. And for the most part the bishops will be paired together as well. But it's more complex than a regular game of chess so describing it as chess is making it loose much of its meaning. It just makes it easier to understand.

Samurai Demon-God Sekikage– Oh boy... I wanna respond to you. First off, let's start out with this. DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO! This is MY story and it will unfold how 'I' want it. NOT YOU. You don't like it, read something else. I'm not demanding reviews, I'm not demanding you even read it, if you don't fucking like how it turns out, then LEAVE. Suggestions I'll take, yes, critics, yes. I'll even incorporate them if I feel they enhance the story. But do not think for one moment that you can try and boss me around. And as for whom each person will end up with. I've had that pretty much decided from the start and I wouldn't change it if you had a gun pointed to my head. Now, onto the rest of what you reviewed. That may be the most widely used description of Vegeta-sei, but simply because it IS the true description. Ever watch Bardock Special? You get a nice view at a dusty red planet, much like mars, and we all know the soil consistency of mars. Not very much vegetation. As for the next review, you're twisted, but I doubt you did that. And Gohan is scared because it's a foreign feeling to him. I know if I suddenly acted completely out of character I'd be worried. Hmmm... the rest of them are pretty much you ranting at me trying to get the two together. Not even worth a response besides what I've already given.

Lunas Meow – Ya, school sucks the big one. Hopefully next semester will be easier, but I highly doubt it. Will probably have even less time.

SereneStorm – The time period of the planet they are currently visiting is about late medieval age, before electricity and magnetism were discovered. That's the technological level, the magical level though is far beyond that though making them capable of constructing things that surpass anything technology could. The time in general is set a few months after the destruction of planet Vegeta. Although it wasn't actually destroyed in this story. And it's a multi-verse. It's explained in the prologue. Think of a solar system, with 4 planets circling the sun. It's the same with this, 4 universes circling a shattered orb. And the quest is to fix the orb. They are related in as much as mars is related to earth.

Majinslick – Hey, thanks for the support, hehe. I really don't know how he has the audacity to think he has any right to tell me how to write MY story. He should just enjoy the story. It's not like it's costing him anything to read it, aside from maybe 10 or 20 minutes to read a chapter.

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**Chapter 12: Humility**

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"Those three have been doing great." Sapphire said in admiration.

Gohan smirked, "Yes, their greatest challenge will probably come from fighting each other, although there are one or two here that could give them a run for their money." He replied.

The four of them, Gohan, Sapphire, Trunks and Emerald, were all seated in their usual spots high in the audience with Trunks and Sapphire on either side of Gohan and Emerald beside her daughter. Nearly two weeks had come and gone since the beginning of the tournament. The entire competition went on for three months. There were simply that many people, with that many different combat areas. There were, of course, multiple arenas. It would have taken over a year to complete the tournament otherwise. Thankfully the hand-to-hand combat, sword mastery, and spell-casting combat areas were all scheduled at different times, each a week after the previous finished. This allowed the others to sit back and enjoy the fights as they came without worry or indecision that came with having to choose one match over another. The hand-to-hand combat was one of the smaller combat areas, which is why it was going first along with several other areas like all the long-ranged combat styles.

The long-ranged combat included slings, crossbows, bows, and oddly enough, siege weapons like mangonels and ballistae. The latter two were team competitions as it was rather impossible to fire one by yourself. These combat styles were done differently than the rest, hence why they were first. One, they generally didn't mess up the arena as much, and two, it wasn't one on one, or team vs team. Each competitor/team was given a target at a set distance and they advanced depending on how well they hit it in comparison to the rest. The top half go on and so on and so forth. This way only the best move on, but even if you make a slight mistake and one you still have a chance of correcting it in the next and come out on top.

The rest of the combat styles were all enacted through a one on one contest, much like how the hand-to-hand combat has been conducted. Hand-to-hand was first since it was the smallest of the styles, smallest as in there were only several thousand competitors, and not the usual tens or even hundreds of thousands that competed in the larger, more often practiced, styles like spell-casting, sword mastery, and staves.

"I wonder..." Emerald said in contemplation. Drawing the attention of the other three, "A couple competitors, not your friends, have been holding back. Especially the former champion. She seems to be fighting at the level of her opponent instead of instantly overwhelming them like she did a decade ago. It's also as if she knows she's strong and is now just trying to enjoy the fights as opposed to winning."

"Which one is that?" Gohan asked curiously as he leaned forward.

Emerald didn't respond, she just kept her eyes focused on the battle below. With a sigh Gohan sat back and Sapphire gave him a sympathetic look.

There was a particular bright explosion in the arena below and when the light died down a body fell to the floor and laid still. "WOW! These fights are becoming more and more intense! Just look at the techniques, the power, and the skill that's being put into these fights! THIS is how one fights with everything on the line. With that final attack Bardock moves on to the semi-finals! It's truly amazing how such a rookie could advance so far. It just shows that the newcomers are becoming stronger with each competition."

Gohan smiled at this, "Bardock, he sure has improved since coming here. Two weeks of intense battles like this have not only honed his instincts, but also his tactics and strategy. He hasn't really made much progress in the strength department, not like the other two, but he's made up for it in spades in the others." Gohan said.

The others gave him curious looks, "What?" Gohan asked in surprise, "Isn't it obvious? His entire life he's only fought others of his kind, or people that fight similar to them. He had developed tactics and abilities to counter anything and everything that could be thrown at him. But here, he's encountering creatures he's never seen before with fighting styles and techniques that he never knew existed. It's a great environment for tactical growth. He's much better at thinking on his feet than he was before all of this."

"NOW! Time for the next match! In this one we have yet another rookie that's made it far. Let's give it up for Vegeta! He needs no real introduction by now. His glowing yellow hair and teal eyes shows us that he doesn't intend on taking this match lightly! He may not be the youngest competitor to ever fight in this tournament, but he's by far the strongest. Never before has someone this young made it this far or showed so much strength and potential." The announcer yelled, quite excited about this match. The saiyans had been putting on the greatest shows having the widest range of abilities seen thus far. Most of the matches had been just fast punch fests. "And his opponent is yet another rookie. It seems this year is abundant with powerful rookies. The past few decades have seen a decline in quality of new entrants, but perhaps it's all been in build-up for this year! Let's give it up for Blight! Don't let his blind-fold confuse you, he's shown in the past battles that he can not only see as good as his opponents, but better!"

"Finally, an opponent worthy of my time." Blight said with a smile as he eyed Vegeta up and down.

"Heh, fighting a blind man... Tsk." Vegeta shook his head with a smirk. There was no way he was going to lose this fight.

"Overconfidence will be your downfall little one." Blight said with a smile. "Try not to fall too soon. Let's give these people a fight worth their money."

"Pah, you don't need to tell me that! I'll stand triumphant on your back by the end of this match."

"Enough talk."

"Finally."

"It seems like these two competitors are ready! Let the match.... BEGIN!" The announcer roared a roar that was drowned out by twin sonic booms as Blight and Vegeta shot towards each other at blinding speeds.

Most of the audience didn't have a clue as to what happened. One moment the announcer screamed begin and the next Vegeta and Blight were flying away from each other, each with a large red welt in the left cheek. Before either landed they disappeared, and once more they were seen flying apart, with the other cheek sporting a large red welt.

This time it was only Vegeta who disappeared before he landed. Blight landed harshly and skidded for a moment before he twisted and pushed off the ground with his hands, just moments before Vegeta's fist slammed into the spot he had once been. Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise when he realized he'd hit nothing but dirt and a moment later he was eating it.

Vegeta literally bounced after he slammed into the ground, only to be kicked away and sent careening into the arena wall as Blight finished his attack. Just as Vegeta's fist had slammed into the ground Blight had twisted into the air and slammed his feet into Vegeta's back slamming him into the ground. Using the momentum caused by the blow he had flipped off the back and had launched Vegeta through the air with a well placed kick.

The young saiyan picked himself from the wall and shook his head as he glared at Blight. The sight of the small smile creasing the other's face served only to infuriate Vegeta. With a snarl of anger Vegeta shot towards Blight who did the same. The two met in the middle and began to exchange blows at a fast and furious pace. Vegeta had totally disregarded all technique and was trying to throw as many punches as fast and hard as he could. At first Blight simply dodged them, throwing a few of his own until he caught onto the pattern, or lack thereof, of Vegeta's punches and began to meet them head on. Miniature shockwaves erupted from each clashing fist creating a cascading sound of booms.

All the while Blight still had that small smile of his face.

Suddenly the tempo changed and Blight knew something was up, and sure enough an energy blast was blasting at him from point blank range. With a slight widening of his eyes he quickly distanced himself from Vegeta and stopped.

Vegeta smirked as the blast rippled over his opponent and continued on. With a frown Vegeta stopped causing the wave to slam into the far wall and explode harmlessly. When the blast completely dissipated there, before him, stood Blight, that small smile once again on his face, completely unharmed.

"What the hell!?" Vegeta yelled.

"Infuriating isn't it? To know your two major forms of attack are completely useless against me. You're too young to beat me in hand-to-hand combat, and your energy attacks are useless against me." Blight said lightly.

"Damn you! I'll defeat you!" Vegeta yelled.

"Perhaps, if you had a couple decades more experience behind your belt. But as you are now, you have no hope." Blight responded.

"Don't give me that shit! I'll tear you apart!" Vegeta yelled.

With a roar that ripped the ground apart around him Vegeta powered up to his absolute maximum. With a yell he shot forward, tearing the ground apart as he came. Blight met him head on and once again they exchanged fast and furious punches and kicks. And then the two began to dance, or rather that's what it looked like to the inexperienced. To anyone else it was a dance so deadly that a single misstep would spell disaster for the other.

Each punch, every spin and twirl, every kick and knee, each were countered by the other doing the same. The duo danced around the stadium, kicking up dirt and dust as they spun, kicked, twisted, punched and jumped at and around each other. Sonic booms echoed through the stadium with each block and every hit. Whenever Vegeta would score a blow, Blight would score the same blow upon Vegeta. Each dodge would be perfectly emulated by the other and the force of the blow would send waves of force shooting across the arena. The fight had become a dance of death whose sole winner would be the one with the greater stamina.

The two kept up the furious pace for nearly ten minutes before the mistake occurred. During the entire time the crowd was captivated. It wasn't flashy, it wasn't sparkly, but it was captivating never-the-less. Just the way the two seemed to flow from attack to attack pulled at ones heart. The waves of force that shot out from dodged attacks only served to heighten the fight as it almost seemed as if there was some form of symmetry to it all. But like all things, it must come to an end.

And Vegeta was the cause.

In the end it was his impatience.

As the fight drew on, his patience grew short.

And that is how his fall began.

Because of impatience Vegeta tried to end the fight, putting too much power, too much speed, behind his blows; slowly but surely he had fallen out of sync and Blight took advantage of that. Vegeta had dodged his attack, and he had dodged Vegeta's, but Vegeta had put too much power behind it, too much speed, causing his arm to be just slightly over-extended. And that was all it took for Blight to trap it. With a surprised shout Vegeta found himself being hammered with punches as he lost his balance and fell forward. With a shout of pain Vegeta was launched across the arena to slam roughly into the ground and skid across the ground for several meters before he came to a halt.

"WOW! That must have been the most intense hand-to-hand fight I've seen in a long time! It's not often that mere punches and kicks could captivate an audience like these two did. What a great match!" The announcer yelled in excitement

Blight slowly began to make his way over to his opponent, not wanting to end the match, allowing Vegeta time to recover from the vicious assault and stand up. From the short time he had fought Vegeta he had come to understand him enough to know he wouldn't give up. The smile returned to Blight's face as Vegeta slowly rose to his feet, albeit unsteadily.

"If I can't beat my win out of you! I'll BLAST IT OUT!" Vegeta roared as he slowly rose into the air.

Blight's smile vanished to be replaced by a small frown as he pondered what Vegeta was doing. He had a vague idea but it never hurt to be cautious.

When he deemed he'd flown up high enough Vegeta spread-eagled and hovered where he was. He began to yell, there were no words, just pure undulated noise as a chaotic aura wrapped itself around him forming to the contours of his body.

"He's not going to use that technique is he?" Gohan said worriedly.

"I think he is..." Trunks replied.

"What's going on?" Sapphire asked, Emerald too was looking at them curiously.

"Oh nothing, just if it gets out of hand I'll be forced to go down there and block it." Gohan said with a smile as he turned to face Sapphire.

"What?" Sapphire asked in confusion.

Gohan turned back to Vegeta. "That attack... If used incorrectly, and at this point I believe it is as he's aiming directly towards the ground, is capable of destroying entire worlds. All of our blasts are piercing blasts. If he doesn't control that blast you'll find it ripping through the city and deep into the planet."

The two of them stared at Gohan in shock, as did everyone around him. "Y-You're joking right." Sapphire asked, suddenly panicked.

"He's not." Trunks replied, there was a frown creasing his face, "We all have attacks capable of destroying planets. Some specifically designed for just such a thing."

Down in the stadium Vegeta brought his hands out in front of him and began to gather all the energy into that single spot. As the aura and power began to build up the entire stadium began to shake as the powerful vibrations and winds that were wiping out from Vegeta began to affect not only the immediate area, but the entire arena complex and the city itself. For the first time since its creation the city began to tremble.

"I WILL NOT LOSE! ME! THE PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS WILL NOT LOSE TO A PEON LIKE YOU!" Vegeta roared out in rage.

"**FINAL..."**Vegeta paused, still not acquiring the amount of power he desired.

"Well SHIT! Big blast, failing shield, lots of shaking and blowing, I haven't even gotten laid yet! THIS SUCKS!" The announcer shouted, barely audible over the din created by the energy in the arena.

The ball of energy in Vegeta's hands solidified and began to grow at an alarming pace. The shaking grew more intense and fear began to spread throughout the audience. The shield protecting them would, they knew it would, or at least they hoped it would. Suddenly the shield began to flicker violently as the energy grew more intense. Fear wasn't spreading through the crowd, panic and terror was.

...**FLASH!"** He roared as he unleashed the greatest energy wave the planet had seen to date.

'THAT IDIOT!" Gohan roared in anger.

With blinding speed the energy wave shot towards Blight whose eyes had widened in surprise. He knew he could survive that blast, but he seriously doubted if the audience would. The energy wave expanded and grew as Vegeta poured more and more energy into it with each passing moment. It was nearly ten meters in diameter when it finally reached Blight.

Blight activated his ability and the blast flew right through him as if he wasn't there. He couldn't stop it, but he could avoid it. The attack slammed into the ground of the arena, and kept going. The energy ripped through the ground completely decimating the arena floor as the outer layers of the attack exploded on contact with the solid material but the majority of it kept going, right through the arena. The shield around arena flickered violently as it tried to contain the blast but it wouldn't be long before it gave out.

Gohan turned to Trunks, his eyes enraged. "Trunks! Set up a shield around the arena, I going to stop that fucking blast. It'll rip this city apart if it's not stopped here and now!"

"Right!" Trunks replied. In truth he was wondering what took Gohan so long to act.

Blight turned to look into the stadiums as he saw two massive energies of frightening proportions erupt into being. The energies being given out by these beings dwarfed anything he had seen before.

Trunks shot towards the stadium, flashing into super saiyan one, and then the second stage as he ripped through the shield protecting the audience like it was nothing more than paper. Gohan shot forward as well, and penetrated the shield like it wasn't even there. With a snarl of anger Gohan shot down past Blight so fast he wasn't able to detect him and burrowed through the shield once again before he shot back into the arena, now directly in the path of the final flash. Trunks on the other hand blasted towards the top of the arena and spread eagled as he began to yell. His torso bent backwards as everything on him became more defined and vibrant. A new shield sprung up around the old just as the old one collapsed.

The audience didn't know what was happening all they knew was that they saw the magical shield collapse and then nothing. The shaking stopped, the wind no longer affected them. It was as if the shield had returned in full force, and in essence it did.

Gohan on the other hand grabbed the final flash and used his energy to squeeze it back together, causing it to detonate. A massive and violent explosion ripped through the arena destroying everything within the shield save the three saiyans and Blight. With the smoke cleared people began to gasp in surprise. There were two new people in the stadium, one with a sword strapped to his back with the same golden hair as Vegeta and another with black hair down at the very bottom of the arena's floor.

"VEGETA! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Gohan roared snapping Vegeta out of his rage induced state. He was now staring at a very pissed off Gohan and he didn't like it one bit. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU WERE ABOUT TO DO!" Gohan screamed out in rage as he floated up to face Vegeta.

"W-Well... I... ah..." He didn't have anything to say. Words wouldn't come to him.

"That blast..." Gohan stated, his voice now at a regular volume but no less scary. "...would have torn through this entire city and impact with the ground below. You very well could have just destroyed this entire planet!"

"NO! I-I would have..."

"What? Stopped it in time? You were too fucking pissed off to even know HOW to stop it!" Gohan snarled and grabbed Vegeta by the throat and brought him within inches of his face. "I swear, if I ever see you lose control like that and pull off such a stupid stunt again I will make you wish you were never born!" Gohan snarled and turned away.

"Come Trunks, let's go." Gohan said as he flew back to his seat in the audience.

Silently Trunks followed him, letting the shield drop. As it dropped a new one sprang up as the magical enchantments were restored. A moment later the floor of the arena was fixed and the filled in. Gohan stopped and looked around in surprise.

Suddenly two beings appeared before him, and he knew they were gods from the power they gave off. They had a mixture of emotions flickering across their face.

"You two know it's against the rules to interfere with a match right?" The first god asked.

Trunks floated over beside Gohan and faced the two Gods, "Yes we know, but we figured that you'd have preferred that to a dead world." Trunks replied flatly.

"Yes, we preferred it as well." The second god said. "Which is why we also wish to thank you for halting the attack and protecting the audience. It appears as if we'll need to keep a closer eye on these matches in the future."

"Yes, that would probably be a smart move." Gohan said as he jerked a finger towards Trunks. "Especially when he starts fighting."

The gods turned to regard Trunks and then Gohan. "Yes, I suppose so and what about yourself? If you were capable of stopping such a blast you'd have easily been able to make it at least this far. Why not compete?"

Gohan laughed, "Because there's no challenge in beating weaklings. When the supreme beings of this universe, you gods, are weaker than me how am I supposed to get a challenge from these competitors? No, I'm letting the others fight. Help build their strength and skills. There's nothing for me to gain by fighting here." Gohan replied smugly.

"Confident are you?" The first god said, obviously upset. The audience however had gone completely silent. The thought of Gohan being stronger than the gods was a ludicrous thought, at least to those who couldn't sense energy levels. Blight however, knew Gohan wasn't lying. He couldn't see the full extent, but he could feel it. That endless pit of energy was so dark and frightening that he almost didn't want to look.

"Confidence has nothing to do with it. It comes from the fact that I can sense the depth of your power, despite how different it may be from my own. And it's from that that I am able to tell that I'm stronger." Gohan said evenly.

The first god was about to retort but the second touched his arm silencing him. "Shall we let the match continue?" The second god asked.

Gohan smiled, "Yes of course, I was just about to see Vegeta lose." Gohan replied. He turned down to Blight. "Make sure to beat him to an inch of his life! Trust me; it's what he wants if he isn't able to win." Gohan yelled, shocking Blight.

With that Gohan turned and flew over to his seat, quickly followed by Trunks. As they settled back into their respective places Gohan sighed in relief. "That was close. Had I waited much longer that blast would have escaped into the main portion of this complex." Gohan said to himself.

"Thank you Gohan." Sapphire said. Gohan turned his head and saw her eyes sparkle in happiness. "Despite all your rough talk and act, you're heart is still that of pure gold." She said happily and bent forward to kiss Gohan on the cheek.

Gohan blushed softly and Emerald smiled softly as Trunks laughed heartily. Gohan glared at his friend but couldn't stop blushing. "A-Ah... it's nothing. Have to do at least one good deed a day right?" Gohan mumbled to himself.

Sapphire simply smiled wider and hugged him. "Right!" She said with a little laugh and let him go.

By this time there was a full blown grin on Emeralds face and Trunks was dieing from laughter. _Karreth now has some competition and Gohan is still to naïve to realize this_. Trunks thought.

"Ah... ok... where were we?" The announcer said. "One moment I was seeing my life flash before my eyes and the next we're being saved by two unknown people with powers substantially greater than those in the tournament... ok screw this, I'm not going to understand it, and neither are you! Let's just get back to what we do! The match shall now continue!" The announcer yelled.

Vegeta floated slowly back down to the floor of the arena and got into a fighting stance across from Blight. His eyes holding a haunted look. Despite acting as tough as he did, he was still a child at heart, and the sudden thought that the blood of billions of people, innocent people, were almost on his hands had shook him, perhaps more-so than the look Gohan gave him and his threat.

"I take it you fear him?" Blight asked Vegeta.

Vegeta shook, "You have no idea the kind of power he holds. The more enraged he becomes... the stronger he becomes. I've yet to see him max out. He's never had to, not against anything I've ever seen." Vegeta whispered, audible only to Blight. "He's always bossing me around, telling me what to do, I want to defy him but he's just so..." he paused. He didn't know why he was saying this; it was as if his mouth was moving before his mind could stop it.

The other nodded solemnly, "A truly frightening person to have as an opponent, to be against, but incredibly heartening to have on ones side." Blight said in response causing Vegeta's head to whip up.

"What..." Vegeta started.

"You are young, you have much to learn. That man has a good heart; if he's willing to go out of his way to protect those he doesn't know, think of how much he would do for those that he actually cares for?" Blight said causing Vegeta's mind to start working. "I heard you say you were a prince. I don't know prince of what or where, but it doesn't matter. Everyone needs someone. To be alone is the worst possible torture anyone can endure." He said sadly as he looked towards the ground, pain evident in his eyes. He had plenty of experience with that pain. "Perhaps you should stop fighting him and listen, open your mind. He bosses you around because he knows you're not capable of taking care of yourself." Vegeta was about to snap but Blight held up a hand to halt him, "You're not capable, because you won't listen. Everyone starts where you are. But everyone eventually grows, but only if they open themselves up, admits when they are wrong, and most important, learn from their mistakes. Sure, you may hate being wrong, being told what to do, but if you never smarten up, listen, and understand what those around you are saying, you'll forever be like that. They've been through what you are currently going through, they have wisdom you do not. Attain that wisdom, use it, and become wiser than them. Listen, learn, grow, and soon they won't need to tell you what to do, you'll be already doing it. Everything starts at the bottom. If you can't force your way to the top through power, slip and slide through the cracks instead, using wisdom, slyness and intelligence. But also remember, the closer to the top you are, the more alone you become. You'll understand that in time."

Vegeta was now totally silent. He didn't know what to think. He knew Blight was right, it all rang true, but he knew it would be some time before his stubborn nature allowed him to fully accept those words. With a slight shake of his head and a renewed resolve he replied with two simple words, "Let's go!"

Blight nodded and shot forward.

"I don't know what those two were talking about! But I don't care anymore as this fight is once more underway. Let the greater of the two move on!"

With a shout Vegeta pulled his arm back and slammed it into Blight's face. The older man rocked backwards but not before whipping his legs up to slam his feet into Vegeta's chin. There was a slight crack as Vegeta's head snapped back painfully. But Blight wasn't finished. He reached out with his arms and gripped the ground and spun his legs around at super sonic speeds. A green aura erupted around them as they slammed not once, not twice, but an innumerable amount of times into Vegeta's small body. Vegeta cried out in agony as he felt his body become reduced to jelly as the kicks slammed into his body faster and harder than even his super saiyan form could withstand. After a several seconds of brutal punishment, that even had the more hardened viewers wince in agony, Vegeta was freed from the whirlwind of kicks and sent spiraling through the air before landing with several of his limbs pointing in odd directions, like his left arm wrapped around his body. That was definitely unnatural. Neither was the way that his legs seemed to make three 360 degree twists before ending at his feet. That was definitely not a built in feature. It also probably wasn't too healthy for ones body to act like a blood filled sprinkler system.

Despite the obviously painful position Vegeta was in Blight had been careful, none of the vital organs had been seriously damaged. All of the damage had been done to the superficial things, like the limbs.

"H-How did I l-loose..." Vegeta coughed out as Blight kneeled down beside him.

"Because you didn't analyze the situation. The solution to victory would have come if you had simply used a little more brain and a little less brawn. Not everything can be won using sheer strength." Blight said softly.

"But... how could... you... see me..." He coughed.

"I may not be able to see your physical form, but I can see life energy. I know you and your friends are capable of sensing it, but I can see it. You and the others, all glow gold. While everyone else is green and the gods are blue. The brighter you glow, the stronger you are. And everything here has at least a little life force. I may not be able to textures, but I can see everything else." He replied.

"Heh..." Vegeta laughed for a moment before he started coughing, "Thank you..." He whispered as his eyes closed.

"Just wanted to save you from the same fate that...." He stopped, Vegeta was already unconscious.

"AND THAT'S IT! Blight moves on to the quarter-finals where he'll be facing that young mans companion, Bardock. Will we see a match just like the one we just witnessed or something else entirely?" The announcer roared out with happiness and more than a little relived.

The clerics converged on Vegeta and slowly lifted him up with magic and gently carried him off the field as they tended to his injures.

"Well... That was certainly interesting." Gohan said as he watched Vegeta get carted off the field.

"Yes, yes it was. Thankfully both Karreth and Bardock are more calm than Vegeta, although Karreth not by very much. But with the gods watching closely now I don't suspect we'll have to interfere again." Trunks replied.

"Yes, I know; I just want to enjoy this tournament." He replied.

There weren't very many fights left, and Karreth still had one left to fight in the quarter-finals. But those fights... are for another chapter.

To be continued...

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, little longer than I wanted. Wanted to fit in all 3 but I only got 1. Ah well the next two will be in the next chapter. It's about half the size of the other, so it came out much more quickly. I accidentally started and finished this chapter so consider it as an early chapter because I really didn't expect to even start it until December.

A/N: Mangonels are larger versions of catapults. They generally toss half-ton boulders as opposed to the usual 100 pound or so.

A/N: Blight, his name, isn't what it sounds like. Split it in half, at the 'i', and try to form two words from it. Hehe, understand? Need a hint, think to a special characteristic of Blight. Also, he's not invulnerable; in fact he has one major weakness. The weakness is there, and I have shown it, just not in plain words.


	14. Chapter 13: Humiliation and Defeat

1A/N: Seems I churned out a logical reason for having the tournament in my story. I wish to fit both fights into this chapter and still keep it at the 5k word length so neither of them will be as long as Vegeta's. Sorry for those of you who were hoping for long battles.

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Response to Reviews:

Luna's Meow – Hehe, sorry about all the riddles, they're not really intentional. Except the main ones that deal with the story. All the other ones just kinda pop out as I write. Unfortunately you'll never see the gods fight, and even if they did the techniques they use are completely different than the ones the saiyans use. It's like asking a warrior to start casting a fireball. But on the other hand it's like asking a mage to wield a sword. Both could PROBABLY do it if they put a lot of effort into it, but it's much more effective to just use their own techniques. Nothing wrong with creating them as they go though.

SSGohanStrife – Heh, I'm sure you and everyone else is curious as to whom Gohan ends up with. I can't tell ya, you've waited 12 chapters, what's another 12 eh? Hehehehehe.

SSJ3MysticGohan – Heh, thanks for the compliment. My story being the best on FFN? That's taking it a bit extreme. I know it's up there but the best is stretching it a bit. I've read some DAMN good stories. Especially by Sh33p and The Smooster. Those two can fucking write. There are also several amazing Naruto stories out there that I'd have trouble matching. There are just MANY amazing authors out there. Just being near the top is good enough for me. Hopefully next year I'll be even better because I'm going to start actually taking university courses in Creative Writing.

MattT( ) – Well... the thing is Bardock doesn't know anything about Blight. After all the competitors aren't allowed to see each other fight until the match they fight them in, or after they lose and then it's no longer really important. Hehe ya, about Blight… I can guarantee he won't become part of the 'group' per say but that doesn't mean he won't have some role to play.

Freyr Van'ir – I won't block someone for such a reason. They'd have to start insulting me for no reason what so ever and talking about things NOT involved in the story for me to block them. If it deals with the story, it's fair game and I just gotta live with it, doesn't mean I'll just let it fly by and do nothing but… shrug

Anime-Ronin – Actually dude, the whole reason FOR that speech is so that Vegeta DOES learn something. I just did it in the only way I can possibly see it getting through to him. By someone who he's not a ruler of (or supposed to be) yet who possess strength, experience and knowledge that far exceeds his own. Vegeta isn't going to change overnight, but the process has started and it'll finish when 'it' happens.

the133tness( ) – well, about the description. If you'd notice it comes and goes in phases. Some chapters will have a great deal of description while others won't have any at all. It all really depends on my mood I suppose. Hopefully fall next year I'll be kicking ass and chewing bubble gum in the writing area.

Samurai Demon-God Sekikage – Apology accepted :)

Supersaiyaman – Ummm… no offense but… I don't suppose you could go over what you write before you review? I like you reviewing and all but… Damn… if I didn't know better I'd think you were INTENTIONALLY writing reviews with horrible grammar and spelling simply so you could get a funny comment from me. It's just that I have trouble deciphering a real meaning from what you post.

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**Chapter 13: Humiliation and Defeat**

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"It's time for the last match of the quarter finals! These two competitors are quite similar in many aspects, both are female, both are beautiful, and both wield fantastic powers! Let's give it up for Karreth and Solar! Karreth is yet another rookie who has made it to the quarter finals. Karreth, with her golden hair spiking upwards in response to her transformation she has quickly become a favorite here at the stadium. There are many men who have expressed desires to bed with her but she has snubbed them all! And her opponent, the reigning champion from the last tournament, is Solar! No one knows if she's elven or divine but her beauty, grace and power seems to suggest the latter of the two. I don't know about everyone else, but this fight is sure to be one hell of a drool fest. Guys, grab your drool buckets as this match will be sure to ram your testosterones into overdrive!" The announcer announced, all the while gathering a supply of at least three drool buckets himself. He too, after all, was a guy.

"I've been waiting to face you Karreth." Solar said with a smile, "It's nice to see another female with at least a smidgen of power."

Karreth smirked back at her, "Yes, I'm glad as well, let's try to beat the other without destroying our clothes." She said as she eyed Solar up and down. She had long, silvery hair that framed a perfect face. Her figure was perfectly proportioned in everyway possible; exquisitely toned, sumptuously sculpted, and unerringly muscled, much like Karreth's own. However, unlike Karreth she wasn't wearing saiyan battle armor, she was wearing what appeared to be a long, silk white robe with two straps that went over the shoulders. Karreth's eyes narrowed at this. There was no way anyone would fight in just that; it was far too easily destroyed. There must be something underneath as well.

"Oh, you got something to hide?" Solar asked with a light smile.

"About as much as you. I'd rather not have a horde of men rioting when they see two naked females beating on each other. It's a bit much for their pint sized brains." Karreth replied.

Solar's gold eyes twinkled in merriment, "I don't think I'll have to worry about you tearing off my clothes."

"I'm not sure what those girls are talking about but I want to see those boobs bounce… I mean I want to see this match begin! SOOooooOO START!" The announcer shouted.

"I'm going to fucking kill that announcer if he makes any more inappropriate comments." Karreth growled.

"Finally we agree on something." Solar replied.

The two shot forward and Solar lead with a straight punch only to have it go throw Karreth's after image. Her eyes widened for a moment before she found herself skidding across the ground from a well placed kick to the back.

With slight flick of her wrists Solar lifted from the ground, spun through the air, and clipped Karreth in the chin with a kick as she charged in for another attack. This time it was Karreth who found herself flying backwards.

Karreth exerted her energy behind her and halted herself in mid flight before she charged forward once more. The two of them engaged in a flurry of punches and kicks, shockwaves rippled outwards sending dust and small rocks flying away.

"You're pretty good, but not good enough." Solar said and her eyes flashed silver.

Before Karreth could register anything aside from the change in color she was slammed into the ground by an invisible force, and held there. A gasp escaped from Karreth as a kick slammed into her ribs, followed by another, a third, and many more. Then came the last one, the pressure disappeared and she found herself lifted from the ground and smashed away by yet another wave of invisible force.

"What the hell was that?" Karreth gasped out as she slowly rose to her feet.

Solar grinned at her, "The reason why you'll never touch me." She replied cryptically.

"We'll see about that." Karreth replied back.

Karreth shot forward once more, preparing herself for the unseen attacks. Solar simply shook her head as she raised her hand. With a small smile her eyes flashed silver again and a wave of force rippled through the air as it shot towards her opponent. Karreth quickly halted in her tracks, dug her feet into the ground, and opened her arms wide as she put up a shield around her, the exact same kind of shield that Trunks had used during Vegeta's match, albeit much weaker.

The invisible wave of force slammed into the shield and was halted completely. Solar's eyes widened in surprise; the only thing that had even been able to stop her force waves before was the shields around the arena. The thought of any of her competitors being able to erect a similar shield had never crossed her mind. Needless to say she was kind of out of it when Karreth's fist slammed into her cheek, launching her across the arena. With a grimace Solar quickly righted herself only to come face to face with an energy blast, one that finished the job Karreth's punch started, that slammed the former champion into the arena's wall.

"What was that about me never touching you?" Karreth asked with a smirk.

"WOW! This is the first time Solar has ever been hit by her opponent in the entirety of her fighting career here at the arenas! Karreth is giving as well as she is receiving! And the bouncing breasts sure are nice." The announcer said with his first drool bucket over half full. Karreth glared up at the announcer with such venom that it made one wonder if she was poisonous. "Err… uh… I think I should have kept that last comment to myself."

"**YOU**!" Solar growled out in rage. "You bitch; you fucking touched my perfect skin. I'm going to make you **REGRET THAT!**"

"Then come shit for brains, make me regret that." Karreth replied smugly.

Solar's eyes began to glow silver, only this time, they didn't just flash silver for a moment, they kept glowing, and the glow got brighter, and brighter. The air around Solar began to crackle, yet no energy could be seen, only heard. The ground beneath her began to disintegrate as a small crater formed under the former champion. "**NOW FEEL PAIN!**" Solar roared as she unleashed all the energy she had built up.

Karreth's eyes widened in surprise at the massive amount of energy that was shooting towards her; it was so strong it was ripping the ground apart as if it offered no more resistance than air. She quickly braced herself, erecting another shield around her. Karreth took one last look at Solar and she knew she had made a mistake. Solar was grinning, as if she was hoping Karreth would attempt this.

Suddenly Karreth screamed in agony as an attack exploded up from out of the ground. It shot through her legs and ripped through her entire nervous system causing her to momentarily lose control of every single part of her body. An unfortunate side affect of this was the complete destruction of the shield she had just erected. Then came the main attack. With a soundless explosion, that was only seen and heard by the destruction of the ground around Karreth, the attack dealt a massive blow to the female saiyan as it battered and bruised her hardened body. Had she not been wearing the saiyan battle armor, she would have been suffered a great deal more, as it was the armor blocked a great deal of the attack, at the price of the armor itself. The battle armor slowly peeled away as it was destroyed leaving behind nothing but the spandex, which soon followed the armor as it disintegrated in the attack as it tried to protect it's wearer. When the attack was over, a battered, bruised, dazed and half-naked Karreth dropped to the arena floor face down.

Suddenly a great noise filled the arena, almost as if someone had turned on a giant faucet. All one had to do was look around to understand where the sound was coming from. There were large amounts of drool dripping from the mouths of nearly every single male in the audience. Some were putting waterfalls to shame while others simply tilted backwards as their noses exploded in a gush of blood.

They had gotten more than they had bargained for, and boy did it piss Gohan off. The guys around his immediate vicinity soon forgot about Karreth and erased the picture of her topless from their eyes once they looked at Gohan's enraged eyes. There would be other chances to see naked females, no point in risking ones life to drool over this particular one.

Solar looked up at the announcer and glared at him. The guy had already gone through his three buckets and was now drooling freely over the side of his booth. "I think it's over announcer, and if you don't fucking get a grip on yourself I'll rip you a new asshole to shit out of." Solar growled in anger. She may dislike Karreth for hitting her, but she was still female, and the actions of the male audience members pissed her off far more than Karreth ever could.

"Umm… well… er.r…" The announcer gulped and pointed behind her.

Solar whipped around to receive a punch to the face. Karreth was back and thoroughly pissed off. She glared up into the stands. "IF YOU FUCKERS DON'T STOP DROOLING I'M GONNA RIP YOUR GOD DAMN TESTICLES OFF!" Karreth roared and pointed back to Gohan. "OR GET HIM TO DO IT FOR ME!"

This brought everyone's attention to Gohan and the look on his face could melt stone from a mile away. Much like the guys around Gohan everyone else suddenly had more pressing things to think about. Like the survival of their treasured possessions and their own lives.

"HOW?!" Solar yelled in surprise. "That attack should have nearly killed you!"

Karreth grinned, "Yes well, that armor wasn't there just for show you know." Karreth replied. "And now that I know the weakness in that shield I create one without such a weakness."

"This time I won't be stopped!" Solar declared as her eyes began to glow silver once more. A huge beam shot out from Solar, its origin: her forehead. The beam of force literally seemed to bend reality as it shot across the arena's floor towards Karreth.

The saiyan smiled, she knew she could win. Solar's last attack had dealt a larger blow to her than she let on. But she wasn't going down without humiliating Solar as badly as she did her. "**KAITEN!**" Karreth yelled as she began to spin. A whirlwind of yellow energy whipped around Karreth leveling the ground in the process. As the wave of force slammed into the whirlwind of energy it didn't stop, but it turned as it began to circle around Karreth, completely caught up in the whirlwind of energy.

Karreth grimaced, this was going to take everything she had. She continued to spin as she raised her hands above her head.

"**MASENKO**" Karreth started as a massively condensed ball of energy formed in her spinning, outstretched hands.

"**HA!**" She roared as she timed everything perfectly. It was a strategy that would have made even Bardock proud. A huge yellowish beam of energy ripped through the whirlwind, but due to the spinning and high velocities the attack didn't go in a perfectly straight line, instead it shot out, and spiraled around Solar's attack. What's more, just before the attack had left Karreth's defensive barrier it had snagged the head of Solar's attack and carried it along for the ride.

So it was a very surprised and shocked Solar that received not only Karreth's attack, but her own as well. A piercing scream echoed across the arena as a massive explosion erupted around Solar. The ground shook as the explosion continued to build as the rest of the two attacks continually slammed into Solar until they were completely spent.

As the dust settled it revealed an exhausted Karreth on her knees as she looked upwards, her eyes closed. She was tired, no she was beyond tired. She doubted she could move if her life depended on it. And it may very well if Solar survived that attack in any kind of condition.

As a battered and bruised Solar slowly picked herself off the ground and out of the crater that the explosion had caused. Two things occurred to her. One, the stupid faucet had turned back on again, and the second, was that she was completely naked. Unlike Karreth she had lost the entirety of her clothes, hence why over half the guys were now unconscious due to blood loss and the other half were soon to be dehydrated from excessive drooling. The announcer was struck beyond the ability to speak. Not even death could stop him from drooling over the edge of his booth and onto several disgusted audience members below. With the two gorgeous females naked in front of him he was not going to pass up the opportunity to take this eyeful.

Karreth opened her eyes and stared at her now naked opponent and began to laugh, "Hahaha." She laughed out, "Looks like you're the object of their attention now." She said, all the while laughing. "Think of it as payback for ruining my clothes." She said as she tilted forward and hit the ground, unconscious.

Solar saw red. Not only was her perfect skin marred in many places, Karreth had dared to do the unthinkable, expose her chaste body to the masses. It was an unforgivable offence in her mind, one that deserved nothing less than death. With a feral scream of rage Solar shot forward, ready to kill Karreth, only to be smashed away by a force so powerful it destroyed all of her defences and nearly crushed every bone in her body.

Her rage now forgotten she spotted a form hunched over Karreth. Gohan looked up at Solar, his eyes holding no kindness. "The fight is over, she's unconscious, and you have won. If you wish to take it any further, you'll have to go through me." Gohan said quietly, much like the quietness that precedes the storm.

Solar had no intention of trying to go through Gohan to get at Karreth. She had won; she'd have to be happy with that. She knew when she was out-matched. The fact that Gohan had stripped her of all defences with ease revealed much about him. As she watched Gohan gently pick Karreth up Solar became jealous for the first time in her life. The fact that Karreth had access to one such as Gohan made her seethe. Why such male perfection would ever go for such a woman made Solar exceedingly jealous. For the first time she was seeing a man that was worth her time, and he was as far away from her reach as the moon.

Gohan positioned Karreth gently, pressing her chest against his. It's not that he wanted to feel her breasts pressing against his chest. No, that wasn't it. He just wanted to cover her and deny the audience any more than what they had already seen. She was too good for the likes of them. Gohan kept saying this as he slowly began to float back up to where he and the others were seated.

"Wait! We need to check up on her!" The clerics called out as they arrived in the scene.

Gohan glared down at them and would have said something nasty had he not noticed they were all female. Apparently the arena officials had some good sense when it came to such things. "Don't worry; she's more exhausted than anything. She's survived far worse than this with little to no help. All she needs is food and a good night's rest and she'll be fine. All her wounds are superficial."

"Alright." The cleric said, "But if her condition should worsen you'll bring her straight to us?" She asked.

"Yes, I will." He replied. They nodded and let him go.

The gods didn't bother trying to intervene with Gohan as he quickly flew back to his seat. After all the match had already pretty much been decided.

As Gohan settled back into his seat with Karreth cradled in his arms Sapphire couldn't help but wonder what it would like to have him hold her like that. _Maybe I should lose my clothes during one of my matches so he can hold me like he's holding her._ Sapphire thought for a moment before changing her mind, _No, I want him and only him to see me in such a state._

"Trunks, don't suppose I could borrow your vest for a while?" Gohan asked.

Trunks smiled, "Sure, I'll just get it back from Karreth when she gets into a new change of clothes." Trunks said as he removed his vest and handed it over to Gohan.

Gohan slipped the vest onto Karreth, zipping it up afterwards. It was tight, constricting her chest quite a bit, but it was far better than being exposed. "Sorry, Trunks, I don't suppose…" He began.

Trunks smiled, "No problem." He said as he stood up and moved over a seat, kicking the unconscious man out of the way. Trunks may have been kinder, had the idiot not passed out from staring at his aunt's breasts.

With Karreth sleeping peacefully between the two saiyans they were finally able to turn their attention back to the arena. What they saw was kind of strange considering how the previous matches had gone. The four semi-finalists were all gathered together down in the center of the arena. Solar had been given a new set of clothing; this time she was wearing a pair of loose fitting white pants with a sleeveless blue shirt designs that looked like white flames drawn all over it. She was also wearing a pair of soft, white boots and a pair of white gloves. In addition to the clothing her energy had been restored along with her body, although her face was still beat red from the exposure she had just previously suffered.

The announcer had been replaced by one of the two God's that had confronted Gohan earlier. "Welcome everyone; I suppose you're wondering just why I am here announcing this and why all four semi-finalists are gathered below?" There was a murmur of agreement. "Well, the actions of the announcer were rather unsightly, as was his words and behaviour. He is being… reprimanded as we speak so I am taking over for him. An announcer should be partial, fair, and not a gawking idiot who loses all common sense at the first sight of naked female skin." There were smiles and grins from many of the females in the audiences at this. "As for the semi-finalists; we've decided to hold a free-for-all brawl between the four of them. This way not only power and skill will determine the winner, but strategy and foresight. That's the candy coated reason. The real reason is that there isn't enough time left in the day for three matches, but there is enough for one long battle. Because of this we've decided to end the martial arts portion of this tournament today, as opposed to leaving you all in suspense for a single final fight tomorrow."

There was a loud, long roar of approval from the crowd.

"Now, announcing the first of the four competitors. His name is Bardock and as many of you have guessed or wonder, just what is he? No other race on this planet has the known capability of transforming in such a way, and no other creature looks like a human with a monkey tail. The truth is, he's not of this planet, and neither are his cohorts. They are members of a race called saiyans and you can consider them the guests of the gods. Four of them have decided to participate in this tournament, the last opting out from the sole fact that even us God's would have a hard time touching him. Bardock is the third strongest of the saiyans, but that's not where his greatest strength comes from, no, that strength comes from his mind. His power is only surpassed by his intelligence and experience. Age has given him an extra edge that his other two fellows didn't have, and because of this he's here now. Don't underestimate him, he'll take whatever opening you give him, and if you give him none, he'll make his own."

A loud roar went up the crowd. More than a few cat calls went up as well as many of the females tried to get his attention.

"Oh, and ladies, he's already been taken." The God said, disappointing many of the females in the crowd.

"The second competitor is Blight, although that's not his true name. It was formed from the two words: Blind Sight. Blight however can see just fine, even without sight, as he has an alternative way of seeing things. This opponent is tricky, with enough power to go toe to toe with anyone but with the ability to nullify virtually everyone's special attacks. His greatest fight was against the youngest of the saiyans, Vegeta, defeating the young competitor after one of the greatest shows of hand to hand combat that has graced the arena this tournament. Will he deliver a similar defeat to Bardock, or will the veteran saiyan's experience and intelligence give him the edge required to take down him down?"

A slightly quieter roar of approval came up from the crowd, but Blight didn't mind, because she was the most vocal of them all. Blight had entered the tournament for a single purpose and, for the first time since entering, it seemed as if that purpose would be fulfilled.

"The third semi-finalist is a giant of a man. Titan is said to be powerful enough to crush mountains, and from the damage he's done to the arena, and his opponents, since coming here it doesn't appear as if the rumors are entirely false. He wears nothing more than just a loincloth, no protective gear, but then he doesn't really need any. It's also been proven in the past that his skin is tougher than the strongest steel. However, despite all this he's… not very well liked having a fetish for females. That doesn't sound bad in and of itself but it prevents him from even remotely considering the feelings of the females he eats. Yes, you heard me, eats."

There weren't any cheers at this. Everyone, especially the woman, stared at Titan in disgust in anger. Gohan wasn't worried. He knew Bardock well enough that he'd prevent anything like that while he still drew breath, and from what Blight's done in the past Gohan knew he could count on him to aid Bardock.

"The last semi-finalist is last tournaments grand champion, Solar. She breezed through the competition until she met the greatest challenge she had ever faced here at the tournaments, Karreth. We all know how that match went and ended, and we'll skip the details to spare the woman any more humiliation, save to say that if I see even a hint of a inappropriate comment coming from anyone you'll have me to answer to. This is a martial arts tournament, not a porno fest. If you want to see naked woman, go to a brothel.

The loudest roar of approval went up for her. She was the favorite of many. For females she was a symbol that they could surpass even the greatest of men, and for males, she was an object to ogle and idol over even if they weren't allowed to vocalize their opinions.

"Hehe, I'm so lucky to finally meet the great Solar." Titan said as he leered down at her. "I just can't wait to taste you!"

"Ugh, please, keep your distance. You're disgusting breath is making me want to vomit." Solar said as she waved her hand in front of her noise in an attempt to get rid of the smell.

Bardock and Blight exchanged looks and nodded, they were in agreement.

"Well, let's get this final match started! And may the best fighter WIN!" The god yelled.

Titan turned to grab Solar, only to cough up blood as two shockwaves rippled out from his body. Solar stared at Bardock and Blight in surprise. She had taken Karreth's and Vegeta's signature ball crusher move and used it on Titan, forever riding him of the chance of reproducing. That had caused one shockwave. The second shockwave came from the contact between Blight's knee and Titan's head. This had caused the oversized human to buck forward, but the greatest surprise came from the yellow flaming hand sticking through Titan's chest holding a portion of his spinal column. Bardock obviously had serious issues with people like Titan.

There was sickening squelch as Bardock ripped his hand back out, still holding the bloody piece of Titan's spine. As the large human began to fall a third shockwave erupted as Bardock slammed a titanic kick into his opponents rib cage, brutally destroying all the ribs on that side of the body while sending the ruined man across the arena floor to skid several meters before halting at the far wall.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that Bardock's approval rating just went up several notches from THAT performance." The God said as he watched the clerics gather around Titan and carry him off. He may not be well liked but he deserved equal treatment that all competitors liked, of course he would be kept far, far away from all females and under tight watch.

"Just get this straight Solar." Bardock said as he tilted his head towards her. "I didn't do this for you; I did it for everyone that fell to that asshole's sick pleasures."

Solar smiled back, "Hmm, I see. That's fine with me. It's nice to know men such as yourself exist in the world." She replied, "Pity that you're taken."

"Whatever, let's continue this match." Bardock said, ending the discussion.

Bardock leaned back as a leg crossed through the area where his head once was. He grabbed the leg, and with a quick twist of his wrist and arm he threw Blight at an oncoming wave of force. Bardock followed up by throwing several balls of energy at Blight as he moved to the side. Both the force wave and balls of energy met Blight at the same time, and exploded inside of him as he activated his ability. It was an unusual feeling for Blight to say the least.

Bardock's eyes furrowed for a moment before he shot forward, kicking up a huge cloud of dust where he had been. Solar did likewise and the two met at the epicenter of their blasts. With a large boom Solar found herself knocked away as Blight did a double spin kick in the air. The kick hit Bardock as well, but it merely went through him, surprising Blight to no end. There was an explosion beneath him and he barely had time to register that fact before a pair of feet slammed into his chin, knocking him out of the air and onto his back.

A wave of energy rippled towards Bardock who quickly took to the air and letting the attack pass harmlessly beneath him. A kick to his side caused him to spin through the air, or that's the way it appeared at first. Bardock quickly reached out and grabbed the offending boot that had hit him and threw it and the person in it, to the ground. There was a loud crash as Blight made a slight crater in the ground where he landed. Blight quickly activated his ability and Solar's attack rippled harmlessly through him.

"**KA!**" Bardock yelled as he cupped his hands before him. He had righted himself quickly after throwing Blight to the arena floor and had further distanced himself from the ground.

"If it was anyone but Bardock using this attack I might be worried but I know Bardock's not as stupid as Vegeta. He has something up his sleeve." Gohan said.

"Most definitely, but whatever it is, it's sure to be spectacular to watch." Trunks replied.

"**ME!**"

Bardock brought his hands to his sides as the energy began to gather between his fingers.

"**HA!**"

Blue tendrils of energy escaped from various parts of the older saiyans body and began to creep along the skin until it reached his hands and began to filter into the space between them.

"**ME!**"

A ball of bright blue energy sprung into existence as the tendrils of blue energy began to grow thicker and flow faster, gathering at an ever increasing pace between the saiyan warriors hands.

"**HA!**" Bardock roared out, drowning out everything else as the thrust his hands forwards and unleashed the energy he had been gathering into a massive wave of energy.

Straight at the ground below him where there wasn't anyone.

The force behind the blast propelled Bardock upwards, and just in time as Solar wasn't one to simply sit back and let anyone fire off attacks. The only thing was, was that her opponent wasn't just anyone. He was a saiyan, a creature born with natural combat instincts, but more than that, he was a saiyan with many battles behind his belt with more real combat experience than anyone in the tournament. He had seen the attack coming before it had even occurred to Solar to fire it off.

Solar's attack passed the point where Bardock once was, and was swallowed up by the energy wave as Bardock was pushed further upwards. Bardock flipped upside down and a moment later his feet came in contact with the shield covering the arena. As the energy slammed into the ground it began to burrow deep into it. Gohan thought for a moment Bardock had lost his mind but relief washed over him as he watched as Bardock stopped feeding energy into his attack and made some quick hand movements, cutting one way and then the other.

Blight and Solar stared up at Bardock in confusion; the attack had done nothing making it a complete waste of energy. Yet with that much energy there should have been some form of explosion. Solar's and Blight's eyes widened in surprise as Bardock quickly cut two fingers upwards and the arena was engulfed in a pillar of brilliant blue energy. A scream erupted from Solar's mouth as the attack washed over her body biting, burning and bruising her body at every opportunity. Blight faired better as he activated his ability as soon as he realized what Bardock was up to, but one shockwave later he too was screaming in pain as the attack burned through him.

When the energy finally died out the arena was now several meters lower than it had previously been. Bardock could be seen grinning several feet above the arenas new floor as he looked back and forth between the battered forms of Solar and Blight.

"Damn…" Blight said as he slowly stood up, "I guess you've discovered my weakness."

"Yes, and it's a great weakness. I wasn't certain at first, but now I know for sure. I won't say it aloud; the others will have to figure it out for themselves if they wish to use it against you." Bardock replied.

"He, thanks." Blight replied as he shot forward, only to stop and activate his ability as the arena erupted as yet another pillar of energy exploded upwards. When the energy died down it was Bardock's turn to get off his back. His entire body was singed as if burned by an incredibly hot fire.

"That wasn't nice Solar." Bardock said as he glanced over at her. Bardock's attack had done the majority of its damage to Solar's arms and legs, completely destroying the gloves and boots and reducing the bottom half of her pants to little more than rags.

"I know, but you ruined my hair with that attack of yours. I felt I had to return the favor." Solar replied with a mock sniff of distain.

"You're vain you know that?" Bardock replied.

"Not really, I just need an excuse to bloody you up." She responded.

Bardock shook his head in exasperation. "Women!" He said as he rolled his eyes. "I've been bonded to one for years now and I still can't figure you creatures out."

Solar smirked at him, "Where's the fun in being with someone predictable?" She replied.

Bardock grinned back. "None, you should see her in bed, she's still pulling surprises on me." He replied caused Solar to blush.

"Shut up! I don't need to hear about your sex life." She shouted as she shot towards Bardock and began to wildly throw punches.

"Oh, I think you do." Bardock said with a laugh as he dodged Solar's attacks. "In fact, you want to hear them so much you want me to shut up so you can concentrate on winning and not on what it may be like to be with a man."

Blight watched the two and merely shook his head. Bardock truly was a devious person. Solar was totally off her game now. She couldn't think straight for multiple reasons and this was making her make many mistakes. She easily had twice the energy reserves as Bardock – the kamehame-ha and the following attack by Solar had seriously drained him – but she was wasting quite a bit of it in her desperation to shut Bardock up. Blight was staying out of it for the moment, allowing Solar to waste as much energy as possible before she came back to her senses. He had even less energy and stamina left than Bardock. He hadn't been able to put up any kind of defense after Bardock had laid waste into him during the middle of his energy assault.

"I can't believe you! What would your wife think about this?!" Solar yelled as she threw a kick at Bardock's head.

Bardock ducked beneath it and laughed, "Who knows, she's unpredictable." He replied, throwing back an earlier comment. He dodged to the right allowing a vicious left hook to swing by harmlessly. "But even after all these years she's still so tight. Oh wow, you should see the moves we pull." He ducked under another kicked and redirected a punch away from his face. "I have her screaming my name so loudly we wake up the neighbours." He said, letting Solar's mind create the images by itself. He had yet to actually make reference to anything particular, but Solar's overactive mind, and lack of any real experience, had left her imagining things that she would have liked done to her. In fact it was her that she was seeing in those images and it was severely unnerving her.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Solar yelled as she threw another powerful punch at Bardock's face over-extending her arm far too much and giving Bardock just the opening he'd been waiting for.

With all the power he could muster Bardock slammed a fist straight into Solar's stomach completely knocking the wind out of her. She quickly clutched her stomach as she gasped for breath and tried to keep her breakfast in. A second later a powerful, double-fisted attack slammed into the small of her back smashing her into the ground with such force that created a massive crater and STILL managed to bounce back up to meet a third attack from Bardock: A spin kick that hammered into her side and sent her tumbling through the air towards Blight.

Before Solar was able to register what exactly was happening Blight shot forward, threw his body forward and dug his hands into the ground. Solar eyes widened in surprise as she passed over Blight only to have them bug out as two feet slammed themselves into her chest halting her horizontal flight pre-maturely and sending her on a now almost completely vertical one.

Neither Blight nor Bardock were done playing catch with Solar. With a burst of speed that surprised even him, Bardock appeared directly above Solar and did a vertical bicycle kick. Her breath now back she was able to actually yell out in pain as her vertical flight upwards was suddenly and violently reversed and she found herself flying towards the ground at a speed she really didn't like. The thing is, she didn't hit the ground.

She hit a pair of booted feet belonging to someone called Blight who was spinning around on his hands.

A second scream was ripped from Solar's throat as she was thrown to the side at super sonic speeds. The scream was short lived as yet another pair of booted feet slammed into her. This time it completely halted her flight as it slammed her firmly into the ground kicking up massive amounts of rock and dirt as she was ploughed several feet into the already ruined arena floor.

Bardock quickly jumped back and stood beside Blight. They had both placed a lot of power into those attacks and were now more drained then they once were, but Solar's energy had dropped the greatest.

"Think she'll be mad about this?" Bardock asked Blight.

"Wouldn't you?" Blight returned.

"Shit."

"Wow, now that is what you call teamwork. Although not exactly allowed in a free-for-all, it's not exactly disallowed either. Bardock and Blight just showed that even the great can be brought down if perfect team work is executed. But Solar is far from out, and both male finalists realize this. This match seems to be nearing the end. With one competitor out and the last three nearing their limits I wonder what desperation moves they will pull out to win this." The God announced.

Laughter echoed through the arena as Solar slowly picked herself out of the ground. She was the one laughing.

"That certainly wasn't what I expected. How about you?" Bardock asked.

"Nope, I'm about as confused as you." Blight replied.

"Women!"

"Yup."

Solar turned to them; there was a huge smile on her face. "Thanks you two. I was really loosing it there wasn't I?" Solar asked as she closed her eyes and tilted her head. "I need that awakener. You truly are a devious person Bardock, making me act like that and think those thoughts, but I suppose I deserved that, for multiple reasons. I did loose my cool after all. I was practically begging for that kind of attack." She stood up and brushed some of the larger particles of dirt from her clothing. "But now I'm cool headed again. Let's end this shall we?"

Solar's eyes glowed silver as she began to rise into the air. Her clothing began to ripple as an unseen force began to move across her body.

"Uh, Bardock?" Blight asked.

"I know." Bardock replied.

"I'll remember your sacrifice." Blight said solemnly as he shot towards Solar.

Bardock jumped into the air and erected the strongest shield he was capable of in his condition, and not a moment too soon as a huge beam of energy shot from Solar and headed directly for the older saiyan. The energy wave wasn't visible, not really, it was only noticeable because of the air particles it displaced, and that it distorted all light that it hit making it visible, yet at the same time invisible.

There was a huge silent boom as the attack slammed into the older saiyan. Bardock held his arms wide and grounded his teeth as he held on, pouring everything he had into the shield and it appeared as though for a moment that it would actually work. But unfortunately the combo done against Solar hadn't diminished her power enough. If she were to concentrate on a single opponent she still had the capability of overwhelming them, and overwhelm Bardock she did. With a loud crack the shield broke and Bardock yelled out in pain as the energy attack exploded on to him.

The attack didn't go on for long as she was forced to let it go and concentrate on a Blight who was currently swinging a punch at her face. Solar leaned back and brought her knee up to meet Blight's chin knocking the other back a few steps. Solar wrapped her mental energy around her like a second skin and began to lay into Blight. Each hit, even the ones that were blocked, greatly hurt Blight. He was able to absorb physical blows, and ignore energy attacks, but not in combination. Should they be used on him at the same time they did twice the damage they would have normally done.

A knee connected with Solar's head momentarily distracting her from Blight. With a backhand she smashed Bardock into the ground, and it was then that she got a good look at him.

"What the hell happened to your hair and eyes?" She exclaimed, thinking there was something horribly wrong with Bardock. She, nor Blight, had ever seen him outside his super saiyan form.

"Nothing's wrong." Bardock said, as he pulled himself from the ground and jumped away. "I simply lack the energy to stay in my ascended form and I'm too stubborn to stay down when I should. This is actually what I naturally look like."

"Whew, I thought for a moment my attack had done something unforeseen and serious to you." Solar said. The relief in her voice was palpable. "And now that I don't have to worry about you…" She smiled sweetly before she disappeared and reappeared behind Bardock.

He knew it was coming, he saw it coming, but due to the previous beatings he lacked the capability of making his body move fast enough to avoid it. So it was with a womanly backhand that Bardock was knocked flying through the air and into not only the ground, but unconsciousness as well.

With a burst of speed Solar shot across the ground towards Blight who prepared himself, but he knew he was finished. Solar used Blight's chest as a spring board as she stepped on him and slammed her right foot into his chin, snapping the other mans neck back violently. As she did a somersault in the air Solar's eyes flashed silver again, completely unseen by Blight whose eyes were fixated on the ceiling at that moment, a concentrated pillar of force erupted from beneath Blight ripping him from the ground and tossing him through the air like a rag doll.

He was out before he hit the ground, leaving a bruised, tired, and panting Solar as the only female competitor to ever win the martial arts tournament twice in a row.

"AND SOLAR HAS WON THE MATCH!" The God shouted out. "And what a match it was! This tournament is one for the record books! Give a hand to Solar, the first woman to win the martial arts tournament twice in a row!"

A massive roar filled the stadium as Solar stood tall, graciously accepting the praise. The previous year she had been smug and a sore winner, grinding it into the faces of others but this year was different. Several things had made themselves clear to her during the final match. The first was that men were worth while creatures and that they could compare to her. The second was that there were truly great men out there, and the third, she needed one of them. Bardock's comments during the middle of the match had made her realized that there was something important missing from her life.

She gazed down at Blight and smiled. _I wonder…_

To be continued…

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A/N: So, how was that chapter? Slightly longer than I wanted but the martial arts tournament is over! Only 4 more fights in total, 2 for Trunks, and 2 for Sapphire.

A/N: Solar uses psychic energy. Telekinetic and stuff like that. She's not a telepath, but she can manipulate things with her mind. I also realized that she hasn't really used many martial arts techniques, like few kicks and punches and the sort. Ah well, she's where she is because there isn't a telekinetic combat group and since she's using no weapons aside from her hands/feet and her mind she's in that category.

A/N: Yes, I know I'm a pervert for that fight between Karreth and Solar, but I got tired of the DBZ fights where the clothing protecting their 'private areas' would ALWAYS stay intact, regardless of the attack. Annoyed me to hell. And besides, there hasn't been a nice Gohan/Karreth moment for awhile so I put one in. Another thing you'll notice is something about Sapphire; if you guess what it is you can ask for one thing (about this story, like who will end up with who or something similar and I'll answer it truthfully, only thing though is that you can't repeat what I tell you to anyone else). You just have to give me your e-mail (if you're a girl, you home phone number and address as well… hehe j/k, like anyone would) and only the person who answers correctly first can get the info. The deal's only valid until my next chapter comes out.

A/N: Hehe, guess what Blight entered the tournament for? It's pretty easy actually. I've pretty much given it away.


	15. Chapter 14: New Friends

A/N: This chapter is gonna be far shorter than the others, ah well.

A/N: Just re-watched Bardock Special and something occurred to me. I've really screwed Bardock up sigh I've been using the personality of Bardock from my other two stories, and that doesn't work. I gotta use the one from Bardock Special as a basis, because that's the actual age of Bardock. So, you MAY notice a slight change in his personality, if you do, you'll know why.

A/N: As for the guesses on Sapphire… I just realized it's so open that it's not even funny. I wrote that little bit as I wrote the part of the chapter so I knew where it linked to, but none of you do. The few guesses I did get were so far off the mark (although interesting in and of themselves) that it was kinda funny. Since it's not going to be very obvious for several chapters I'm keeping it open up until the time I come out and say it in the chapter itself (and you're allowed 1 guess per chapter update, and it is not cumulative so it's in your interest to guess each chapter, if you care for the information anyways). Please, send the guesses by e-mail, not in the reviews. Don't want you to give others ideas now do you?

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Response to Reviews:

Dany le fou – Well… I gotta say you're wrong about the Sapphire stuff but you're right when you say she hasn't had much screen time which is why I'm keeping it open for awhile longer. As for Bardock, ya, that's a mistake on my part. It's fixed, but don't bother re-reading it (unless you want to) because it's only 2 or 3 word change. As for Karreth, yup, that's from Naruto. I'm not just suddenly going to whip out all the ninjutsu's and crap from that series but there are a few cool ones that I will introduce. And for the last comment… well… there may be an embarrassing walk into the bathroom while the guy is showering type deal but nothing on the battlefield. Can you really see any mortal reducing those two of their clothing? Maybe in the next universe but not this one.

SSJ3MysticGohan – About Solar, she's just a very powerful female who happened to have telekinetic capabilities with looks to die for.

Young yayo – well the reason you waited a month is that I have a life. I was going to university and ask anyone who goes to one; the work is not something to be taken lightly. If I was being paid to write this story, you'd see a chapter every week, or perhaps 2 a week, but I just work on it as I have time.

SSGohanStrife – Yes, Sapphire is young… but than again she's not. She's about 150 years old, but she's an elf and they usually live about 7 times longer than humans. So divide her age by 7 and that's the equivalent human age she'd be.

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**Chapter 14: New Friends**

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"You guys did well this past week." Gohan said from his position on the couch.

The group was in a private lounge just off a dining area. Here they could eat while relaxing in comfort. The room was painted a soft beige color with a varnished hardwood floor. Covering the majority of the floor was a soft beige carpet with intricate multi-colored patterns outlining the edges of it. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling bathing the room in a soft glow that seemed to soften the edge of everything in the room. Large paintings were spaced evenly throughout the room adding certain homeliness to the room. Couches and chairs were spaced out evenly through the room, each one cushioned with a leg rest in front of it. Beside each chair was a small side table made from iron oak trees with a glass top embedded in it while the couches each had two, one on either side. Overall the room was large enough to house a dozen people comfortably meaning it provided more than enough space for the current occupants.

"Still can't believe we all got beaten." Vegeta grumbled from his place in one of the chairs. He was on the far side of the room enjoying the feel of the cushions.

"It's not entirely unexpected." Bardock pointed out. "We were told that the beings in this universe were, on average, far stronger than those of ours. And when the vegetation contains enough energy to rival the average saiyan you have to suspect that the inhabitants will be insanely strong as well."

"I personally don't mind losing. It was an… eye opener to say the least and my power has grown substantially since coming here." She said with a smile. They had retreated to their rooms before coming here. Karreth was now clothed in a new set of saiyan battle armor and Trunks was now once again wearing his vest.

"Of course you don't mind. You lost to the former champion, a girl like you. If it had been a guy I bet you'd have been upset!" Vegeta commented.

Karreth glared at him for a moment before dismissing the comment and glancing beside her. "Anyways I bet I'll be able to match you soon Gohan."

Gohan laughed, "You wish. If I have to I can go super saiyan you know." Gohan replied. Confusion rippled through the room. "What? You didn't know? I got here because I tried to go super; I ripped a hole in space and time because the power output was so great. I can go super saiyan, but the power increase would rip the planet I'm on apart unless protective measures are put in place."

Trunks shook his head slowly, "I don't even want to think about how strong you'd become after you ascend." He said. He was sitting on a couch across from Gohan with Bardock sitting beside him.

Gohan shrugged, "Well, so far there hasn't been any reason for me to, and hopefully it'll remain that way." He replied.

"How strong are you Gohan?" Sapphire asked curiously. She was sitting on Gohan's other side, effectively sandwiching the saiyan between her and Karreth. Sapphire's mother was sitting in a chair just off to the left of her daughter.

"However strong he needs to be." Trunks said with a smirk on his face. "Gohan has the same knack as his father. He has tremendous power normally, but whenever he needs more he simply gets pissed off and 'poof' a new level of super saiyan or whatever appears and his power goes through the roof. It actually gets kind of exasperating after awhile. It takes all the danger out of fighting."

"I wouldn't say that Trunks." Gohan replied. "If you recall every time I went 'poof' and hit a new level of super saiyan it usually involved my friends being pummelled to within an inch of their lives. The trigger for my rage is the death or near death of my friends or family. If it bothers you that much I can simply not fight until everyone has been defeated."

"Ah no, that's quite alright Gohan." Trunks responded as he put his hands behind his neck. "I have no intention of dieing again. Once is quite enough for me."

"WHAT!?" Sapphire shot forward, her eyes wide in surprise. "You died?! B-But…"

Trunks blinked in surprise. "What? I was brought back to life… what's so wrong about that?"

"It goes against the laws of nature! That's what's wrong! If you die, you die; you're not supposed to come back because it'll ruin the order of life!" Sapphire exclaimed.

Gohan sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder drawing her attention to him. "It doesn't really matter Sapphire..."

"Why not?!" Sapphire shot back. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The ability to raise the dead and bring them back to life was possible, but it was a forbidden spell because it seriously disrupted the flow of ether and life.

Gohan sighed as he looked up at the chandelier, "Because…" Gohan trailed off as he looked for the right words. When he brought his gaze down they were filled with a deep sadness. "The system of life and death works differently here than where we come from…"

"No it doesn't!" Sapphire interrupted. "It's the same throughout the entire universe. The god's make sure of that. Just because you're from a different planet doesn't make your world, and your people, an exception to this."

"Sapphire…" Emerald said as she reached over and laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder in an attempt to settle her down a little.

"No mother." She spat out. "I can't believe this. They use forbidden spells to raise their dead!" Sapphire hissed out and glared at Trunks and Gohan. "Do you do this to everyone on your planet? The moment they die you bring them back to life?!"

"Well..." Gohan paused. They did, and had often, brought the people of his planet back to life. But he didn't really see what was wrong with it, after all what's wrong with preventing genocide?

"I can't believe you!" She said with her eyes wide with horror and disgust. "Those poor people… how could you do that to them. I thought you were above that! Denying them the peace of death once their time had come."

"No wait, you don't…" Gohan tried to get a word in but Sapphire just kept on riding over him.

"I don't understand why the gods allowed you here! Have you been brought back from the dead as well? Are every last one of you like that abomination over there?" Sapphire hissed as she waved her hand at Trunks causing him to narrow his eyes. He could understand her being upset at people raising the dead, after all perhaps it did upset the balance here but to call him an abomination was taking it a little far. "You people are all mons…"

"SHUT UP!" Gohan roared at her. Sapphire shrank back but held her defiant look. "What the hell do you know about me!?" Gohan snarled. "NOTHING! Don't you DARE try to presume anything! Yes, I have been brought back to life, yes so has Trunks, and the same with the people of my world." Gohan snapped. "But what the hell is wrong with preventing genocide?!"

Sapphires eye's widened in surprise. "W-What? Genocide?"

"Yes! Genocide! You know what that means, the complete and utter annihilation of a race. My people, my world, have been brought to the edge of extinction COUNTLESS times. It's even been destroyed, killing every last man woman and child, BEFORE THEIR TIME!" Gohan yelled at a now scared Sapphire. "Now tell me what is wrong with bringing back billions of innocent people that were all annihilated in an instant because of an insane childish piece of regenerating chewed bubble gum that thought eating people was entertainment?!" Had Trunks not known what Gohan was speaking about he might have cracked a smile and started laughing, but that was an accurate description of Buu and his behaviour. Sapphire couldn't get any words out. She had merely assumed that when someone had died naturally they were brought back, but this was entirely different. "I don't know what this balance of life and ether is, but none of that EXISTS where Trunks and I come from. We don't bring back people that die naturally; we bring back people that are killed by space tyrants, evil regenerating ass fucks that absorb other sentient creatures for food and power, and androids whose sole purpose was to have as much fun as possible, at the expense of the lives of everything around them."

"I-I-I…" Sapphire started.

"You didn't know?" Gohan finished for her. "Of course you didn't! You never bothered asking; you just made a bunch of assumptions and didn't bother trying to understand anything!"

Gohan stood up and walked to the door, he had to get some air before he said things he really didn't mean.

"Where are you going?" Karreth asked as she started to get up to follow.

Gohan opened the door and turned back. "I need to be alone to collect myself." He said and turned to Sapphire. "And just for the record, we're not FROM this universe." And with a loud crash the door slammed shut and he was gone.

"I-I don't understand what's going on." Sapphire said as tears began to collect in her eyes.

Trunks sighed before he responded. "You probably couldn't get much out of that explosion of his. I know I wouldn't have, had I not experienced some of the hell he went through." Trunks said sadly. "Gohan… He's been fighting to protect his planet since he was three."

Sapphire's eyes widened in surprise. "What… But how could someone make him do such a thing?"

Trunks sighed again. "No one made him. He was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and had the power to do what needed to be done. His childhood ended that day, the day he sealed a being called Garlic Jr. into the dead zone. A place filled with nothing but darkness, death, and emptiness. Gohan's been fighting to protect his friends, his family, and his world ever since. It wasn't constant mind you, but when the battles did occur, he, and the people he fought with were always overmatched. At the age of three he beat Garlic Jr., at five he fought his uncle Raditz and almost died. He lost his father that day when he killed his brother to save the people of the planet. A year later he fought Vegeta and his body guard Nappa and was almost killed in the process." Noticing Sapphire's look Trunks shook his head, "No, not him, a different Vegeta. A note to point out, his father was brought back from the dead that day, and had he not the entire world would have been purged. Only a month later he's back in battle, where he is beaten to within an inch of his life, saved once more by his father. Later that day he participates in a fight against the universe' greatest tyrant, Frieza. Four years after that he faces those maniacal androids and that regenerating creature absorber where he once again loses his father. It's in that fight that I died. I was brought back to life, along with over 80 of the world's population. Seven years after that he faces the chewed up piece of bubble gum. An abomination that killed the gods of our universe. He lost his life to that creature, and the entirety of the planet was destroyed because of it, along with several other solar systems. A month later… he lost everyone and everything he had ever known and cared about… permanently." Trunks said sadly. "I'm the only part of his past that still exists. I'm much like him, but I had it worse. I had no way of bringing back my lost friends and family. I had to suffer as maniacal androids ravaged my planet while I was helpless to do anything. And when I finally managed to beat them, it was all destroyed by the chewed bubble gum and then erased from existence."

Sapphire's eyes were downcast now. She had no idea that all this had happened to Trunks and Gohan, it was like their lives had been like an incredibly long horror story. There were some things that didn't coincide quite right but, everything held that ring of truth that made it virtually impossible to dismiss. She lifted her eyes to meet Trunks' "What am I going to do… Gohan probably hates me now." Sapphire said sadly.

"More than likely, with the way you treated him." Karreth said sharply. The words felt like a blow to Sapphire.

"I don't think you really know Gohan all that well than Karreth." Trunks said and turned to Sapphire. "Don't worry, once Gohan collects himself, just go and apologize. If you're sincere he'll understand. He probably realizes that what you said was out of ignorance more than anything else."

A knock resounded from the door slightly startling the occupants of the room. Bardock, who was closet to the door, got up to answer the door. To his great surprise a couple of familiar faces greeted him on the other side.

"Blight! Solar! What are you two doing here?" Bardock asked, obviously startled to see them. He honestly never expected to see them again.

"Oh? We're not allowed to visit?" Solar asked quizzically.

"It's not that. I just thought you would be out celebrating your victory." Bardock replied.

"There's time enough for that later, after the awards ceremony." Solar replied as she pushed passed Bardock. "Quite the crowd you have here." She said as she gazed around the room.

Bardock shrugged as he sat back down beside Trunks, "Just a gathering of friends." Bardock replied.

Blight raised an eye at Bardock, "Powerful friends. There is more energy floating around this room then there is in the other." He said as he waved a hand in the direction of the door.

Bardock merely shrugged as a small smile creased his face. "You're free to join us. Just take a seat anywhere that's open."

Blight sat in the chair nearest the door, beside Emerald, while Solar moved to sit directly across from him. The two of them were still wearing the clothes they had battled in that day, although they had been cleaned up a little and, in Solar's case, repaired.

"Why did Gohan storm out?" Solar asked curiously. "I though he was going to explode and kill someone from his expression."

Sapphire flinched a little and Karreth turned to glare at her. "This… bitch had the nerve to accuse Gohan of something before she had gotten the facts straight. Needless to say it hurt Gohan, a lot." Karreth spat out causing Sapphire to flinch once more as if hit by a physical blow.

"Karreth, shut up." Trunks said.

"Don't tell me to shut up you half-breed mongrel. She had no right to say what she did to him!" Karreth demanded as she stared at Trunks.

Trunks eyes hardened as he stood up and glared down at her. "Just like you have no right to spew that shit at her." Trunks growled in a low tone. "It wasn't her accusation that hit Gohan hard, it was the memories those accusations brought to the surface. The pain that follows the surfacing of those memories is what set him off. Usually those memories only surface when he faces an opponent of overwhelming power, but this time there was no opponent, simply an ignorant fool who opened her mouth before she knew the truth."

"So-"

"So what?" Trunks interrupted, not letting Karreth get a word in. "Shut up, I for one can't understand why Sapphire is still here. Had I been her I'd have already followed Gohan to try and apologize."

Trunks had barely finished speaking before the door was slammed shut again. Trunks sat back and smirked. Sometimes, people just needed a little push in the right direction.

There was another knock on the door, only moments after it slamming shut due to Sapphire's hasty departure. Bardock got up once again with a sigh.

"What the hell is with all the people knocking on our door?" Bardock grumbled. "I can understand Solar and Blight but there isn't anyone else… If it's Titan I'm going to rearrange his anatomy."

There were several murmurs of agreement from various people around the room as Bardock approached the door. With a slight sigh he opened it and blinked in surprise.

"Umm… H-hello…" The woman stammered shyly as Bardock appeared.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Bardock asked.

"I-I… W-well…" She tried to get out.

"Come on, just–ugh." Bardock grunted as he was knocked to the side by a rather energetic Blight.

"Kaitlyn!" Blight said ecstatically. "I'm so happy to see you here. But how?"

"I just asked around for you. That's all." She replied with a huge smile on her face, her previous shyness completely gone in the presence of Blight. "You're famous now, with coming in second in the martial arts tournament and all."

"How about you bring her inside Blight." Trunks called from inside.

"Oh right, sorry." He said as he stepped back and allowed Kaitlyn inside the room. By this time Bardock had seated himself, grumbling all the while about the indignity he had just suffered.

"Kaitlyn, you know of Bardock and Solar, they were the two I fought in the finals." He said as he introduced the grizzled saiyan warrior and the telekinetic. "The others… well… I don't know anything about them only just meeting them a few minutes ago." Blight said apologetically.

"I'm Trunks." Trunks introduced himself, "You can consider me Gohan's closet friend, although he's currently out at the moment."

"Karreth." She said simply, not venturing any more information.

"Hello Kaitlyn, I'm Emerald, the mother of the child you must have seen rush out the door like hell was chasing her." She said with an amused smile on her face.

"Humph." Was all Vegeta said.

"Hello everyone!" Kaitlyn said enthusiastically. "I'm Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn Mythril, as you all know by now. I'm Ash's future wife!" She said as she wrapped her arms around Blight.

Several smirks and smiles grew throughout the room. Solar's jaw just dropped, yet another suitable man already taken. This just wasn't her day. But of all of them Blight was the most surprised.

"W-What?! M-my wife?" He stuttered, his linguistic capability temporarily shot.

"Is there something wrong with that?" She asked curiously, and a little worried.

"B-b-but… you and… he… what…" Now both his mental capability and his linguistics were temporarily disabled.

"Oh…" Kaitlyn said softly as she looked at the ground. "So is that why you left and fought here at the tournament?"

Blight nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

She sighed softly and hugged him tight. "Then I'm sorry." She said.

"What?"

"I never meant to drive you away…" She whispered. "But that God… what did he mean earlier during the tournament… About your sight…"

Blight sighed, "I'll never be able to see again, at least not like you and everyone else. I can no longer see textures." He replied softly.

"So when you look at me all you see is…"

"… the energy that flows through your body, nothing else." He replied sadly as he unwound the bandana from around his eyes to reveal them to the first time.

Kaitlyn gasped softly as she stared into pools of green energy. Where once there had been eyeballs, now all that existed was pure life force. "You're eyes…" She whispered as she leaned her head against his chest, her voice nearly breaking.

"The price of power I guess." He said. "I was willing to do anything to get you to recognize me. You always paid more attention to him, and he was always the strongest in our group. Since I couldn't get you to notice me I asked your father how, and he said he would only allow the strongest to be with her daughter so I…"

"My father?!" She shouted as she jerked her head up. Blight nodded. "That… that… GAH!" Kaitlyn screamed in rage. "That bastard! Because of him you left?" He nodded again. "I'm going to kill him when I get home." She growled. There was so much venom in her voice that it made one wonder if she would actually go ahead and do it. "Because of him… I'll never be able to stare into your beautiful eyes ever again…" She said softly, tears streaming down her cheeks as her anger left her in a huge rush. "That perfect mixture of gold and silver…" She whispered. Emerald stiffed for a moment.

"It's alright Kaitlyn. What's done is done. All one can do is move on." Blight said as he fondly rubbed her back.

"No… it's not alright, it won't be alright until I have your child in me, a ring on my finger, and my father's head hanging from a flag pole on the battlements of Kai'Honar." She growled fiercely. Blight swallowed hard, not quite sure what to make of that. Solar's and Emerald's eyes widened at the mention of Kai'Honar. "That bastard has lived long enough." She whispered as she smiled up at Blight. "When the awards ceremony is over we're going home together, alright?"

"But what about everyone else, what will they think of the two of us. Weren't you and Uyth close?" Blight asked.

She sighed and looked away for a moment. "I thought so too, at first. But when you left… I realized that the only times I was truly happy… were the ones spent with you. It just happened that every time I was with you, he was there as well. The two of you were best of friends and did everything together. I never noticed you were the reason until you were gone. I've been waiting for word of you ever since you left." She said. "When I heard that someone that looked like you would be participating in the tournament I had to come and see for myself."

"We have a lot of lost time to make up on, do we not?" Blight asked, although it was more a statement than question.

"Don't worry. We'll make it up sure enough." She assured. She gazed up at him thoughtfully for a moment. "You've matured a lot. You don't act, sound or look like someone who's only twenty three." She said.

"A lot happened to me." Blight replied. "And most of it wasn't very pleasant. It was either grow up, or die." He replied.

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'll make sure the rest of your life is filled with happiness." She said as she squeezed her arms around him.

Blight smiled down at her as the emptiness inside him was filled with the love of the woman he held in his arms. "Thank you."

She said nothing and just held him tightly.

"So… your name is, Ash?" Bardock inquired a few moments later.

A boot slammed into his head a second later causing the older man to rock sideways and over the side of the couch to land roughly on his neck and head. "Bardock, shut up! You ruined the moment!" Karreth yelled at him, severely upset at the ruining of such a moment. She was female after all.

Blight coughed lightly. "Ah, yes, that's my real name, well the short form. I took an assumed one when I joined the tournament. Ashlay just didn't seem… right." He explained.

"Ashlay?" Emerald inquired, "Your surname isn't Tiamat by any chance is it?"

Blight's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before he was able to catch himself but it was too late. The people in the room were too perceptive for that to go by unnoticed.

"Ash… You have a surname?" She asked. "Only nobles and royalty have surnames."

Emerald nodded as she stood up. "Yes, you are quite right Kaitlyn." Emerald said, "But, then again, that's a custom held only by bipedal creatures. Most other higher order creatures have surnames, sometimes more than one. I'm sorry but I must take my leave, there are some things I need to take care of." She said as she pointed one hand up, and one hand down. Several unknown words flowed through the room as a whirlwind of blue energy whipped up around Emerald. A moment later a soundless shockwave rippled through the room as she disappeared.

"What the fuck?" Karreth said as she stared at the spot Emerald once occupied. Those three words summed up the thoughts of everyone in the room. Almost.

"Ash?" Kaitlyn asked. "What did she mean by all that?"

Blight looked away and sighed. "I… later, I'll tell you later." He said.

"But…" She stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "Alright, later, I'll hold you to that."

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--OO-o-OO--

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Elsewhere…

There he was, sitting by the edge of the pond. As expected of a structure of this size that held so many other luxuries it also held several parks of various sizes. Gohan had found the most secluded one to calm down in. The pond was crystal clear as it was constantly fed by pure spring water. The grass around the edges was lush and green. The pond was inside a semi-circle formed of tall, beautiful trees.

He bowed his head and reflected on his past, on his regrets, pulling each of the horrible situations to the front of his mind, battling it, coming up with ways of doing it better the next time a similar situation occurred, and tucking it back into the recess of his mind.

It was in this position that Sapphire came upon him. She felt kind of bad for using magic to track him down but it would have taken her days otherwise to find him, and she was afraid it would be too late to apologize by then.

"Gohan...?" Sapphire asked as she stopped beside him.

"Yes?" He asked. He had sensed her coming for quite some time. He didn't mind, not really. After all ignorance is an excuse. She had no idea what he had gone through, so there was no way he could fault her for anything she said, because from her point of view, she had been in the right.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" She asked nervously.

"No, go ahead. I'm just thinking anyways." He replied.

She smiled a little. That part went better than she had hoped. She quietly sat next to him and stared out into the pond. The two sat like that for several minutes, neither saying anything.

When Sapphire finally gathered her courage to speak again she asked. "Gohan… you're not…"

He shook his head, "No, I'm not angry at you. You are simply ignorant, and despite what many people think, that's not really a bad thing, although it can sometimes lead to not so good situations." He replied.

She bowed her head sadly, "I know… Trunks told me about your past. I… I had no idea. I thought you were raising people that died from natural causes."

"I figured as much. The thing is, the way our resurrection works is that it returns people to life, but only to the same condition they were the instant before they died, healed of course, so had it been of natural causes… they'd die immediately anyways." Gohan explained.

"Oh. I see. I… I just have to say. I'm sorry Gohan." She said as she brought her knees to her chest and stared at the ground.

"Hey, it's ok." Gohan said as he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know better now. Live and learn, right?"

Her face broke into a full fledge smile that put the sun to shame. "Right!" She said happily as she leapt at Gohan and wrapped her arms around him.

Gohan smiled down at her. The last person who had leapt onto him had been Karreth but Sapphire wasn't like her, not at all. For one she wasn't trying to force herself onto Gohan, which was a bonus for her in Gohan's mind. Another bonus was that her body was far shapelier than Karreth's. Although he'd never let THAT be a deciding factor, nope, not him. Another thing was that this was actually kind of pleasant.

She kissed his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you came Gohan." Sapphire said.

"I know, you said so earlier. Don't worry, you're important to me, I won't let anyone hurt you." He said.

She pressed her body against him harder rubbing certain places that he wished she didn't. He was about to push her away when he realized she frightened. She wasn't doing this to arouse him; she was doing this to feel safe.

"It's alright, you'll be fine." He said, not sure what more he could say.

She shivered as she looked into his eyes, fear marring their beauty. "You don't understand. The person I fear the most is…"

Gohan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You're kidding!" Gohan exclaimed. She shook her head and he held her tightly. "Like I said, I will protect you from all danger, no matter who it comes from."

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--OO-o-OO--

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In a dark cavern...

"**What do you want?**" It growled.

"You have them, I want them, and you will give them to me." She replied.

It snarled at her in anger. "**Puny woman, do you have any idea what a treasure these are? I'm not giving them to anyone. I have my plans for them**."

"It wasn't a request." She said with a voice so cold it made the deepest arctic night feel warm.

"**You should have never come here woman, you'll become my newest toy.**" It growled as it lunged at the woman.

A couple seconds and one agonizing scream that defied description later the woman walked over the mutilated corpse of her victim.

"Puny demon lord." She said and spat upon the corpse. "Hardly worth my time."

Then she saw them. They were sitting in a jar filled with the purest water. She picked up the jar and stared at them: Two eyes with a perfect mixture of gold and silver coloring to them.

"So, the human was right, they are perfect. Excellent, these shall do just fine." The woman laughed as she turned, emerald eyes flashing brilliantly for a moment before she disappeared from the cavern.

To be continued…

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A/N: I'm beginning to think I'm making Trunks very OOC. But then, he's always been mature for his age.

A/N: For those that know what Tiamat is, you'll know what Blight is, or rather, at least who one of his ancestors is.

A/N: Hmmm… I'll give a hint about the question posed in the previous chapter. Although it could give it away. Karreth has this, as do many others, but Sapphire does not. And neither do I, although everyone else I know does. There ya go. That should help narrow things down quite a bit.

A/N: Uh oh… wtf am I cooking up now? Even I don't know for sure, but one thing I do know, it's gonna be so twisty that it'll put roller coasters to shame!

A/N: There, got it up on the 24th, enjoy it everyone. Consider this my Christmas gift to all of you, heh.


	16. Chapter 15: Overwhelming

1A/N: Wow… not many reviews… musta done something wrong with THAT chapter.

A/N: For sake of my sanity, yours, and getting this story finished within a reasonable amount of time, I'm seriously going to start picking up the pace. So if things seem rushed, sorry, but I've already exceeded 100k words and I've still got 2 and a half universes to do. I plan on having this tournament done and the story moving well beyond by the end of the next chapter.

Response to Reviews:

Cash – Hmmm… about Blight. You are correct about his ancestry, kinda. I don't consider Tiamat as a goddess, just one the most powerful dragon to have ever existed. There's also a reason why he's currently walking around in a human form rather than a draconic.

SSJ3MysticGohan – Can't say anything, it'd ruin the story. But I will tell ya one thing, it's not Gohan.

Luna's Meow – ok… that made no sense to me, hehe.

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**Chapter 15: Overwhelming**

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"Trunks, you ready?" Gohan asked his friend as the two of them walked down the hallway.

"Of course Gohan. I'm always ready." He replied. "This will be a breeze."

Gohan shook his head in amusement, "I suppose that's true, but remember, this isn't a martial arts tournament so the majority of your capabilities are not allowed." Gohan said.

"Yes, I know. My greatest difficulty won't be defeating my opponents, it'll be restraining myself."

The two continued on in silence until they reached a T-intersection. There was a large door there with several guards standing at attention on either side.

"Well Gohan, this is where we part ways. I'll be sure not to disappoint you." He said wryly.

"Yeah, just don't get yourself disqualified by accident and Trunks, good luck."

"Thanks Gohan." Trunks said as he disappeared through the door.

Gohan smiled to himself as he turned to head towards the stands. Gohan truly pitied anyone who was matched up against Trunks. Trunks didn't need finesse to win any of these matches. All he needed was to use his power to strengthen his body so much that the opponent's weapons were virtually useless against him.

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--oo-O-oo--

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Several hours later…

Gohan whistles appreciatively, "Wow, some of these fighters are awesome." Gohan said in wonderment.

"Yes, the best from around the world come here to fight one another. If you are looking for the best, this is where you will find them." Emerald said with a smile.

All of them were sitting near each other in the stands, except Trunks for obvious reasons.

"Hmph, they're nothing special." Vegeta said. There was no way he was amazed by what was going on down in the arena, nope, wasn't going to happen. He didn't care that he could never match their level of expertise, it didn't matter that, with enchanted weapons, they could hand his ass to him, none of that matter, or at least that's what he kept telling himself.

"Sure Vegeta, we all know you're just as amazed as we are." Karreth said with a laugh as she messed Vegeta's hair up, or tried to but it simply sprung back into its original position afterwards.

To be honest she was kind of jealous. She wished she could move with even half the grace and style that those below managed to do with ease. Most people think of fights between swordsman as simply hack and slash but that was far from the truth. Only beginners and those trying to show off try to 'hack and slash'. True swords masters thought of their sword as a mere extension of their arms. It was quite easy to spot the best when they fought because of the way they moved. They put new meaning into 'dance of death' wielding weapons capable of rending life within seconds with such grace and precision that when two great fighters fought the way they wove around each other rivalled even the most intricate of dances. But more than that, it was the techniques. Just like there were martial arts techniques, there were also techniques for each kind of weapon. But like martial arts techniques, knowing them isn't enough, knowing when to use them was just as important.

"I always loved to watch these matches when I was younger." Sapphire said enthusiastically. "The way they move and the sounds their swords make as they ring against each other draws me in and I imagine that they were two great heroes's battling it out for the love of a maiden." Sapphire beamed a smile at Gohan who smiled back. "I used to dream that I was the maiden that they fought for and that the winner would someday come sweep me off my feet and protect me from all evil. I used to think that, but not anymore, especially since a true hero has come to rescue me." She looked at Gohan with a smile.

Karreth glowered at Gohan as he blushed under Sapphire's gaze, somehow blaming him for the words she said. Gohan and Sapphire had spent a lot of time together over the past week, more so than with anyone else and it was making Karreth suspicious. The only thing that comforted her was that she was better than Sapphire so if Gohan were to choose anyone to mate with, it would be her, not a frail elf.

There was a loud clang and a sword flew threw the air to stick into the ground several meters from its owner. A moment later there was a shout of pain followed by a gurgling sound as blood gushed forth from the disarmed competitor. His opponent ripped his sword from his chest before wiping it clean and replacing it into its sheath. That was one thing about the weapon fights; they usually ended much more violent and much bloodier than the others due to the fact that you must kill your competitor to continue on. That's not to say they stay dead, the gods make sure they are brought back to life moments after death, but the principle is still there.

"That's it for that match folks!" The announcer said. The god that had taken over the position of announcer during the martial arts tournament had been replaced with the regular announcer for the swordsmanship matches. The announcer this time was actually a she, a former champion of the tournament herself and unlike her counterpart that did the martial arts tournament she wasn't hormone driven, well, except during a certain week but let's not go there. "We've had a large influx of beginners here at this tournament and while it's nice to see fresh faces it's always great to see old veterans come back. Give a hand for these two excellent competitors."

A large roar of approval arose from the crowd. The two competitors bowed to the crowed and waved before they both left the arena, talking cordially with each other. They may have been opponents only moments before but they didn't take the fight off the field with them, the sign of a true master, one who cares more about the fight itself than the victory.

As the crowd died down the announcer went on. "Now, let's have the next two competitors come out!" Out from the shadows of the entrances came Trunks and his opponent. "Ah yes, here we go, more new comers to this tournament. The first is of them is 28 year old Iouri Hynai who hails from the human capital Sheanon. The son of a noble and he's trained under whom some consider the greatest sword's master of all time, Zaknafein. He specializes in a long, slightly curved blade, a katana I believe it's called. We'll soon see if he's inherited his master's legacy or if his spoiled upbringing has hampered his skill."

"Don't you worry! I will prove to everyone that I am the best!" Iouri said as he quickly strode forward confidently so that he would be slightly ahead of his opponent. Trunks shook his head and didn't change his steady pace; he wasn't going to act childish.

"His opponent is Trunks Brief's, I don't know why he was given such a weird name, but quite frankly his looks more than make up for it. If I wasn't already married I'd have considered him as a possible suitor." The announcer said. "But enough about that, he's one of the guests that the gods invited to our world to take part in this tournament, let's see how he shall do. His compatriots did surprisingly well, will he surprise us as well and show as much, if not more, promise?" There were many cat calls and whistles as various females from around the stadium tried to get his attention. The announcer heard this and grinned wickedly. "Oh, did I forget to mention that he's not only good looking, but single, AND a prince? My, what a combination, and from what I've heard, quite the gentleman."

Trunks suddenly felt exceedingly uncomfortable as countless female eyes began to size him up. He felt very much like a piece of prime sirloin steak that had been cooked to perfection and was being eyed by thousands of ravenous animals. Needless to say it was rather nerve wracking. He was sure if the shield wasn't in place there'd be a horde of woman throwing themselves at him.

Finally he reached the center of the arena and was facing the furious eyes of his opponent. Iouri obviously wasn't used to NOT being the center of attention.

"Now that I've sufficiently embarrassed Trunks let the match BEGIN!" The announcer yelled.

"Prince or not, I'm going to ruin that pretty face of yours and show everyone who the better man is." Iouri snarled.

Trunks blinked in surprise, "That makes little sense…" Trunks started but had to end short as Iouri shot towards him. He quickly dodged to the side a long blade sliced down where he had been only moments before.

"Impatient aren't we." Trunks said as he began to dodge Iouri's wild and uncoordinated attacks.

"SHUT UP!" Iouri yelled as he swung wildly again. Trunks dodged once more only to be met by the blade of a much shorter weapon. With a quick burst of energy he reacted faster than anyone thought possible as he quickly dropped to the ground, whipped his sword of his back and around to knock not only the dagger away but the oncoming katana as well. There was a strange metallic sound as the weapons met but Trunks paid it no heed. Another quick burst of energy and he was landing several feet away from Iouri glaring at him.

"That was a cheap tactic." Trunks said.

"Whatever gets the job done." Iouri said with a grin. "But now that I have a feel for your speed, you're finished."

Trunks blinked in surprise. "Right…" He said slowly, trying to figure out if Iouri was mentally stable or not.

Iouri shot forward once more. Trunks barely managed to raise his sword to block the attack and dodge out of the way of the dagger. Iouri's speed had improved drastically. The two weaved around each other for several minutes with Iouri on the offensive the entire time. It was all Trunks could do to keep the blades away from his skin, as it was his clothing kept getting nicked and he was half afraid if it went on for much longer he'd be as naked as Karreth was a week prior. Normally that wouldn't be problematic, but with all the fan girls in the stands staring at him it could cause a riot.

Trunks sighed a moment before he dodged two wild swings and teleported across to the far side of the arena. Iouri quickly turned and smirked at Trunks. "What's the matter prince? Out of your league?"

Trunks shook his head, "No, that's not it. I just figured I might as well end this now. I can't learn anything from you. Your attacks are so un-coordinated that trying to get tips from your fighting style would be pointless." He said nonchalantly. "That and I don't feel like getting my clothing cut up anymore."

"Bullshit, you're all bravado, once I pull out my full strength I'll have you down in seconds!" Iouri bragged to Trunks, only he wasn't listening.

A huge sonic boom echoed through the arena as a bright yellow light momentarily blinded the fans. When everyone could see again Trunks had undergone the same transformations as the other three saiyans that fought in the arena. Gasps of surprise and recognition rippled through the crowd. The few that had witnessed the martial arts tournaments recognized the transformations and those that had witnessed Vegeta's last match recognized him.

"The first level is all I need to defeat a pathetic weakling like you." Trunks said with his voice now deeper and darker.

Iouri shivered in fear. Right before his eyes Trunks had transformed from a weakling to a terrible tyrant of unimaginable powers. The fact that Trunks was concentrating his presence almost entirely on Iouri may have had something to do with that feeling but Iouri didn't need to know that.

Trunks appeared in front of Iouri, faster than anyone could follow save Gohan. With a yelp of surprise Iouri jumped backwards as he wildly swung his sword at Trunks. With frightening ease Trunks catches the blade in his hand causing everyone's eyes to widen in surprise. With a yell Iouri lunged at Trunks, his dagger extended. A loud crack was heard as the blade of the dagger snapped at the hilt and shot back into Iouri's shoulder.

With a yell of pain Iouri released his grip on the sword and jumped away holding his wounded shoulder. "W-w-what the hell are you?!" Iouri yelled, fear edging every word.

"You have no right to know." Trunks said as he crushed the sword in his grip. Explosions rippled outwards from the weapon as the enchantments on the sword collapsed and detonated. "You are not worth my time." And a moment later it was over. Iouri collapsed to the floor of the arena as Trunks ripped his sword from the forehead of his falling opponent.

A second later a powerful cleric appeared beside the fallen form of Iouri and began casting a powerful resurrection spell. Trunks simply turned and walked away, sheathing his sword in the process. As he dropped from his super saiyan state he smiled and waved to the crowd.

"AND TRUNKS IS THE WINNER!" The announcer screamed. "What a fight, just when you think someone can't get any more handsome they show you up! Trunks had better watch his back or he'll find himself buried in females!"

There wasn't much of an applause, but that didn't really bother Trunks. What bothered him was why. All the girls were too busy staring at him and having little hearts dancing from their eyes while the guys glared at him with great jealously. At about this time Trunks really began contemplating whether he should drop out or if it was already too late. He honestly didn't know what it was that the girls saw in him. He never got this reaction anywhere else.

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--OO-o-OO--

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Elsewhere… very far elsewhere… so far elsewhere it's a no where near here type elsewhere… … … ok I'll get on with it…

"Oh Kibitoshin… oh yes… almost there… just a little further…" A voice yelled.

"Yes… yes… YES! I'm almost going to…" A male voice cried.

… What the fuck… What the hell are they doing? Fuckers going behind my back like this and doing whatever the hell they please… and… this is so NOT where I wanted to be…

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--OO-o-OO--

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Elsewhere… the real elsewhere…

"Sai! Sai!" A young voice yelled as it raced through dimly lit halls of the underground complex. The complex 'officially' belonged to no one, but that did not mean it wasn't occupied. In fact it was used as the headquarters of a rather shady group that dealt in various commodities that most upstanding citizens wouldn't even dream of acknowledging, well not aloud anyways. The truth of the matter was that it was fairly well known, in fact there were few that didn't know about it, or got use from it in one form or another. 'Group' wasn't even a correct term for it, super corporation may have served as a better term with nearly a millions members spread across hundreds of worlds it was the biggest organization in the universe, only very few knew how big it truly was. Only a select few people were privy to just how far the influence of the organization reached, or how powerful it truly was. The rest only knew that it existed upon the world they were stationed on and only had knowledge of the place where they worked at.

So with all that laid bear it was a pretty odd sight seeing a twelve year old child racing down the corridors like she didn't have a worry in the world darting around shadowy figures that wouldn't hesitate to grab her and either sell her, rape her, or eat her. The shadowy figures however just ignored the child it let it go along her merry way. Trifling with her was asking to kiss death on the lips and no one was quite ready to do that just yet. That and they were getting used to it now. It was starting to become a rather common occurrence and, although few would admit it, they would actually defend her should a situation arise that required such an action.

"Sai!" The girl yelled once again as she desperately searched for her friend. She had pressing business to attend to and it required Sai's immediate attention.

"Sa-!"

"I'm here, you can stop shouting now." Someone said as they stepped out from the shadows of the wall. One peculiar thing about the underground complex was the huge maze of tunnels. It seemed more like a maze than a complex. However most of the doors were invisible to those who didn't know they were there. It was from one of these virtually invisible doors that Sai stepped out from.

"Sai!" The girl cried out happily as she danced around the older person.

"Another emergency?" Sai asked in amusement.

"YES! Mother and Father are being mean!" She yelled and pouted at the same time.

Sai chuckled at this. "What is it you want this time?"

"I wanted that limited edition super teddy rabbit but they won't get it for me!" She whined.

Sai sighed and rubbed her forehead, "I should be used to this by now." She whispered to herself.

"Uh huh!" The little girl said happily, completely missing the mood.

"Alright, come on little one; let's get you that limited-edition super teddy rabbit." Sai said. It was virtually impossible to stay mad at the little girl for long; she had that effect on people. She also had a valid reason coming to her for this as opposed to getting it herself.

"I'm not 'little one'!" She cried out, kicking Sai in the shins. Sai barely felt it but the point was given. "I'm Elena!"

"Oh right, how forgetful of me." Sai replied.

"Yup! Now don't forget next time!" Elena said happily as she grabbed Sai's hand and began tugging her through the halls.

Sai looked down at the smiling child in amusement. It truly was hard to stay mad at her for any length of time. With long, luxurious golden hair that cascaded down her back and golden eyes she was truly a beautiful child. When one included her station in society she became virtually priceless and a much sought after commodity, hence the reason why she came to Sai to help get the teddy rabbit. Had she gone down the street by herself the moment she left view of her home she'd have been kidnapped. That being said there were very few that could successfully kidnap her, considering she's spent her entire life, from the moment she left the womb, training her body. It wasn't voluntary, but all royalty had to. After all, the guards couldn't follow you everywhere so the need to be able to protect oneself was ingrained into the children at birth.

Sai looked down at herself and shook her head sadly. She wouldn't amount to all that much, gifted with an exceptionally flat chest in comparison to everyone else few men would even give her a second glance. She was born from the lowest class of citizens so her blood was worthless and her tongue was sharp enough to dissuade the few that could see past those faults from having any kind of interest in her. As a side bonus girls were extremely friendly with her since there was very little chance she would ever be any kind of competition for the men. Being eighteen years of age she had just finished puberty so her chest would grow no larger, not that it had grown much from the day she entered that stage of her life. A sigh escaped her lips. There were only two things that she was gifted with: An exceptionally sharp and perceptive mind and a figure that most girls would die for. She may not have the breasts, but the rest of her body was damn near perfect. Too bad guys paid more attention to the chest than anything else. In fact, it seemed that was the only thing most guys looked at. Her body was exceptionally toned. She wasn't too muscular but one look at her and one knew they were dealing with a being of exceptional strength and power. This was exactly the case with her. She would never say it, she disliked braggarts, but she was one of the strongest females of her race, if not the strongest, although few knew it which was exactly how she wanted it to remain. With the kind of business she dealt with, being unknown was a serious advantage. After all, anonymity was the thing that kept most assassins alive. Fitting for someone with her line of work she wore a baggy, black sleeveless dress like garment that wrapped around her neck. Her entire back was completely exposed and the dress was cut so it covered only the front all the way down to mid thigh where it wrapped up around to cover her behind. A thick piece of white cloth was tied around her waist to keep the flap up material that covered her behind up. From mid-bicep to mid-hand on both arms were covered by two pieces of skin tight cloth that were made out of the same material as her dress. Her black hair was cut short except for two long braids that wound their way down past her shoulders. Her eyes held two globes of darkness that seemed to suck the light from wherever it may appear. Her only weapon, a kodachi, was strapped across the small of her back.

Sai was drawn from her musings as she and Elena exited the underground complex and entered a small, wooded area near the center of the city. Small parks, like the one they were in now, dotted the world. It was considered a great get away point for many people, considering that the planet was divided into two sections. The metropolis where people lived, worked and shopped and the industrial section, where the products that were sold in the metropolis were created. This was anything from breeding and raising animals to growing crops to well things like limited edition super teddy rabbits.

The pair soon left the small park and entered a busy street. Vehicles shot past overhead at super sonic speeds. Despite these speeds crashes were rare, the reaction times and sight of most races in this universe were so sharp that they could react within a fraction of a millisecond, and the vehicles were sensitive enough to be able to respond instantly to their users wishes.

"YAY!" Elena shouted ecstatically. "We're close to the Shadan Mall, the biggest mall on the planet. The limited edition super rabbit will definitely be there!"

Sai smiled at Elena, "Well then, we better go before they're all sold out. If it's a limited edition it would mean there are only a few produced and sold."

Elena's eyes widened in horror. "NO! I NEED one!" She yelled out and raced through the crowd towards the mall. Sai laughed softly as she chased after her little companion. She knew if she left Elena alone for too long she'd be in trouble.

"HEY! LEMME GO!" A small voice screamed in anger.

Sai sighed, she knew this would happen. "Let her go." Sai said as she appeared beside a tall, muscular man who was holding Elena by the back of her shirt.

"Sai! You came to rescue me!" Elena cried happily.

"Ya, ya." She waved her hand and stared at the man. "Now let her go." Sai said evenly as she stared him down. "Unless you wish to take up permanent residence in that wall behind you, as a blood stain."

"Hah, like you could do anything bitch. This little doll will get me a fortune." The man laughed cruelly. He eyed Sai's chest and snorted. "You're not much but I'm sure your pussy can give me a moment or two of enjoyment. Looks like today is a 2 for 1 bargain sale for me."

Sai sighed and held her head. This was a daily occurrence here in the metropolis which is why few rarely traveled in groups of less than twenty. Those that did were either stupid retards, or those with enough power that they might as well be a group of twenty. Fortunately for Sai, she fit into the later category.

"Oh well, your funeral." She said as she pointed her hand at the man. With a small smile on her face she let out a hollow shout. A massive wave of force shot from her outstretched arm and slammed into the man with body pulverizing force. The man didn't even have time to scream as his body was literally vaporized and splashed across the far wall. Elena hopped up and down with joy as she ran around Sai.

"Yay Sai! You're the strongest!" She cried happily.

"Whatever, let's just get this rabbit of yours. I'm just glad it wasn't a group like last time. The cleaning crews are beginning to have nervous break downs whenever I show up." Sai said as the two walked beyond the scene. Throughout the entire exchange no one had even looked in their direction, it was safer that way. On this world, the strong lead, and the weak followed meekly or ended up much like the poor man that confronted Sai.

As they approached the entrance to the mall Sai looked up and stared into the sky. _When… when will he appear? I can feel him drawing closer. Please… save me from this hell… this hell called… loneliness…_

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Trunks ripped through the competition as he met them. It didn't matter who they were, male or female, short or tall, fast or slow, it didn't matter. He simply bulled his way through the matches like they were nothing. Much like what Gohan had said, Trunks' greatest problem would be trying to not get disqualified by using something that wasn't related to swords and the like. However Trunks didn't enter this tournament to win, not really, he entered to learn. Having a sword is all great and well, but he had to be honest with himself, he knew nothing about swordsmanship. This tournament however would rectify that situation quite well. By fighting the best swordsman the planet had to offer he would be able to watch and learn as he fought and improve his own skill. At the beginning of the tournament he was worse than even the weakest fighter, by the time the finals came around, he was quite confident he could hold his own, skill wise, against any save the best. By the semi-finals he was no longer simply dodging and blocking the attacks with his forearms, he was parrying, counter-attacking and even pulling off supposed secret techniques that took years to master. His gifted mind, given to him by his mother, and his innate ability to adapt and learn new fighting styles in mid-combat, given to him by his father, had enabled him to learn fighting techniques, and this included weapon skills, at a rate that left everyone with their jaws on the ground. Needing only to see a technique once to use it, and twice to duplicate it perfectly, he was constantly surprising his opponents by using the very killer techniques they used on him, back against them.

One thing Trunks was finding peculiar was his sword. For one it wasn't enchanted in the slightest yet it was easily deflecting and even destroying the weapons of his opponents, all of which have been heavily enchanted. On top of that it wasn't dulling staining in the slightest, despite all the blood that's been splashed across its metallic surface. It's still as good as the day when he first received it and he hadn't performed even a minute of maintenance on it.

But now wasn't really the time for such thoughts as his opponent wasn't really giving him much time to think about that. Trunks was currently maxed out in his super saiyan state in yet, despite all that and his newly acquired weapon skills he was losing, and his opponent knew it as well. He was stronger, faster, and more skilled and, although Trunks was learning a great deal with him, he knew it would be too little too late. Of course he could always take it to the next level but that would eliminate all challenge and he wasn't quite prepared for that yet. There was still much wished to glean from this fight.

A diagonal slash whipped towards Trunks almost too fast to see causing the young saiyan to twist into an awkward position. Using his energy to help steady himself he countered by spinning around and bringing his sword to bear upon his opponents side. Unfortunately the other had seen it coming a mile away and had already brought a sword around to meet the attack. Trunks dropped a hand to the ground and pushed away to get some distance between him and his opponent, barely missing an oncoming short sword.

"WOW! Look at Trunks go. At the beginning of this tournament his skill was ranked lower than even a novice, but now he's matching a true blades master attack for attack. It is completely unheard of for someone to improve this much in such a short amount of time and had I not watched as this novice slowly transformed into an expert I wouldn't have believed it myself." The announcer said as she watched the final match with much excitement. "For anyone to last this long against Zaknafein is truly something."

"You are good, for an amateur." Zaknafein said as he eyed Trunks up and down. "From the way you hold your weapon, the way you stand there waiting for my next attack, I take it that you do not specialize with that weapon."

"Heh, intelligent and perceptive." Trunks said in admiration. "You are quite correct; I'm much like Vegeta and Bardock, a martial arts master. In fact, I'm far stronger than they are which is why I joined this tournament instead."

"Ah yes, I see the logic in that statement." Zaknafein said as he nodded in approval. "There would have been no competition for you in that tournament but here, in this, there is. That weapon is a handicap."

"True, but more than that, I joined because I wished to learn how to use it. I no longer wanted it to just be an accessory for me to carry around; I wanted to gain enough skill that it would actually be of use to me in a true battle." Trunks said as he waved it in front of him. "And I must say, it has given me just that."

"It's a pity, really." Zaknafein said with genuine sorrow. "Someone of your caliber could truly become my successor in every form. But alas, you are no weapons user."

"Heh, sorry to disappoint you."

"Disappoint me? No boy, you don't understand, you've made this tournament worthwhile. Gives me hope for the future, and a challenge worth my time."

"Enough talk." Trunks said as he whipped his sword down towards the ground. "**PIERCING EARTH!**" Trunks shouted.

The ground erupted as giant blades ripped through the earth in a long sinuous snake towards Zaknafein.

Zaknafein grinned as he rammed his swords into the ground. "**WALL OF SWORDS!**" He roars and a massive, quadruple layered wall of swords erupted from the ground between him and the oncoming assault.

With a crash the two forces met, and cancelled the other out. The shield exploded into fragments as the power of the piercing earth died down.

"**DANCE OF A THOUSAND BLADES!**" Zaknafein cried out as he whipped his swords before him and pointed it directly at Trunks. The sword shimmered for a second before a thousand copies of the blades appeared into existence and began to shoot towards Trunks in a spiral fashion.

Trunks tried dodging the blades at first but as more began to reach him he began to get slashed. The blades were incredibly sharp, not only due to enchantments, but by the power of the technique, and the life force added to it by Zaknafein. And what was worse was that the blades that shot by him spiraled back towards him.

"**SLASHING HURRICANE!**" Trunks shouted as he began to spin with his sword pointed out to the side. Normally this technique was used in close range to severely damage ones opponent but Trunks had discovered that it was also an effective technique to get rid of persistent attacks that came from all sides, like the dance of a thousands blades. Hurricane force winds whipped around Trunks as he began to spin while his sword appeared to multiply and spin around in the winds as well, knocking away all the blades that entered the hurricane winds.

When Trunks finished he himself staring directly at a descending sword. Zaknafein had used the fact that Trunks' attack limited his visibility to get quite close to the saiyan. Trunks just happened to be lucky enough to finish his spinning staring directly at Zaknafein. With a startled yelp he shot backwards but Zaknafein was relentless. A second slash followed causing Trunks to limbo so low that it was a miracle he managed to stay on his feet. He brought around his sword to stop an attack coming from the right but the sword he had just dodged by doing the limbo was already descending down upon him. With a massive blast of energy Trunks rocketed to the side, just narrowly dodging the downward attack. The slash, however, did managed to hit his weapon with enough force to rip it from his hands and lodge it into the ground before Zaknafein.

Trunks cursed as he pushed off the ground and landed gracefully on his feet.

"Seems as if you've lost something." Zaknafein said as he pointed towards Trunks' sword. "Had it been near the beginning of the match I'd have returned it in favor of a longer, more enjoyable, encounter but as it is this match has lasted long enough to satiate my battle lust, almost too long. It's about time I ended things, don't you agree?" Zaknafein said. He wasn't being smug when he said it; he was just stating the facts. At the level Trunks was fighting at it was simply a matter of time before Trunks was beaten. However…

Trunks smirked as he stood straight, "Yes, I agree with you. It's time I took this to the next level." He growled as he hunched over slightly. "I thank you for the wonderful match but... I…wiLL… NOT… LOSE!" Trunks roared as he arched backwards and exploded with power.

Winds that made a hurricane look like a soft summer breeze whipped out from his body almost knocking Zaknafein from his feet and causing the people the audience to feel a light breeze. Even the shield, empowered by the gods, couldn't keep the full force from escaping. A roar rippled outwards from the center of the winds as sonic booms and shockwaves rippled outwards from Trunks. A massive pillar of yellow fire engulfed the saiyan obscuring him from sight for a short moment before it, and the winds, began to die down.

When Zaknafein was able to get a good look at Trunks he was shocked. There weren't any noticeable changes, but the aura he was exuding was far beyond anything he had ever felt before. It felt like he was in the presence of a god.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" The announcer shouted out. "I saw his compatriots transform before but this… this is totally different! His hair got longer and more golden, his muscles got bigger and what the fuck is that whipping up and down his body? Lightning? What are we dealing with here a god?"

"This… is super saiyan level 2." Trunks growled his voice much deeper and darker then before. A chill ran up and down Zaknafein's back and he wondered for a moment if he was dealing with the same person he had been the entire match through. "And this is where this match ends."

"I'm not about to give up!" Zaknafein said as he readied himself.

Trunks disappeared.

Zaknafein stiffened as he felt the cold blade of a sword pressing against his neck. "In this form, you are as nothing to me." Trunks declared. "You have lost." With a swift slice with his sword Zaknafein's head fell from his body and rolled across the floor of the arena.

A moment later one of the gods appeared and gently picked the head up and placed it back upon the stump that was still spurting out blood. And one resurrection spell, and a couple seconds later, Zaknafein was alive once more.

"AND TRUNKS IS THE WINNER!" The announcer cried out. "Trunks has taken the victory and the tournament with a quick and clean beheading! I don't know what he did, it looked like some kind of super transformation, but whatever it was it gave him the power to completely dominate his opponent, the great Zaknafein, herald as one of the greatest weapon masters of all time, in mere seconds. We're looking at perhaps the most powerful mortal to walk this planet!"

Gohan snickered to himself.

Trunks dropped out of both levels of super saiyan reverting back to his normal self. "Thank you so much for the match Zaknafein." Trunks said as he extended his hand.

Zaknafein looked at it for a moment before he took it in his own. "Yes, I must thank you as well. Sometimes… sometimes even the master can learn a few things. I shall take the lessons you have taught me to heart."

Trunks looked at him curiously. "Lessons… but I didn't teach you any techniques…"

Zaknafein laughed softly, "Young man, one day you'll understand that there are things out there that are far more important to learn that simple fighting techniques, and often much harder."

To be continued…

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A/N: Zaknafein isn't my character, its Drizzt's father from the forgotten realms (or at least I think it's his father, forget exactly the relationship.) The only difference between the two is that my Zaky is human, not a dark elf but it's still the same so I'm giving credit where it's due.

A/N: Trunks' first transformation, and his ultra super saiyan, aren't really as 'spectacular' as they were in the series. If you would notice only the first few transformations caused a massive uproar of energy. That's because they had poor control over the transformation. The more they do it, the better the control, the less energy that blows wildly out of control, the more energy they have to utilize in their transformed state. The USSJ will have some sort of spectacular transformation, but nothing like the series, and I'm even debating on whether or not to use it at all. Probably not considering Trunks can go SSJ2. On a side note, I may have, with Vegeta's last fight, transformed Trunks into SSJ2, ignore that, he only went level 1. I didn't want anyone to know of the second level until this chapter. At least not anyone outside the immediate group.

A/N: A note on Sai, if you want a picture, go look at SoiFong from the manga Bleach, check out picture 14 of chapter 154. You'll get a very good picture of what she looks like (it's the top one if you do get that picture). Another one (this time fully clothed) is in chapter 138, page 10. However, just because she LOOKS like Soi Fong, doesn't mean she's anything like her at all. Her appearance is the same as Soi Fong from Bleach, but that's where all similarities end. Note: Her name, Sai, is pronounced say.

A/N: About Elena, ya, I know ALL about the problems with training one's body before it's fully developed. However this is my story, these people aren't humans, and their methods (and technology) are FAR more advanced and FAR more effective than anything we could possibly think of.


	17. Chapter 16: The Tournament's End

Response to Reviews:

Grand Master Raziel – The sword… hmm… well movie 12 is supposed to explain how Trunks got the sword in the first place but the movie doesn't really fit into the series, not if it tries to explain that anyways. The sword, however, is the one from the Trunks Special. No idea where he got it, don't really care. I just know the sheath has the capability of instantly repairing and re-sharpening it when it's re-sheathed.

Cash – Don't worry about the physical form, it will be explained in this chapter.

Dany le fou – Oh yes, Sai and Elena will be very important. They will be probably 2 of the most important OC's. Well Sai anyways, Elena will be on par with Karreth. And thanks about Sapphire; I'll remember to do more character development on her, and everyone else for that matter. As for sword techniques, I've been looking at Chronicles of the Cursed Sword. Quite a good manga series.

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**Chapter 16: The Tournament's End**

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Explosions rippled throughout the arena momentarily obscuring everyone's view. It was obvious who was dominating this fight. Sapphire stood in the center of the arena with her hands outstretched to either side. The only place in the entire arena that hadn't been scorched or turned into a crater was the arena within the shield around the elven woman. Her opponent, one of the high masters, was getting his ass kicked into the ground and it hardly seemed as if Sapphire was even trying.

Sweat, dirt and blood dripped down the high master's body while Sapphire looked as clean and pristine as she did the moment she had entered the arena.

"Sapphire's seems to be ripping through her competition as easily as you did Trunks." Gohan said in amusement.

Trunks grinned, "Looks that way doesn't it?" He agreed, "I'm glad she's on our side. She'd be able to give even me a run for my money. Her spells don't have the piercing power of our ki attacks but damn, what they lack in piercing ability they make up for sheer power and destructive force."

A massive spike of earth erupted from the ground beneath the high master. He levitated into the sky and cast a counter spell through the spike back at Sapphire. The spike slammed into the shield and was reduced to small granules of sand. The shield barely even registered the attack.

"I understand now why she hid her power until we arrived." Gohan mused.

"Oh?"

A pillar of flame engulfed Sapphire's opponent causing him to erect a rather hasty fire shield to protect him from the assault.

"She possess tremendous power, almost inhuman power when compared to those around her, but now that we're here she's on the same level as us so it doesn't appear nearly as unusual." Gohan said as he revealed his analysis, "What's more is she's one of us, she's on our side. Alone, if enough of them had gathered, they could have overwhelmed her. However with all of us here it's highly unlikely they'll be able to do anything, especially if we're here on 'invitation' from the gods. Some may even think her powers were granted to her by the gods simply by sheer acquaintance to us."

Several more explosions rippled through the arena followed by a massive flash of light as several bolts of lightning slammed the high master into one of the arena's walls.

"Is it safe for her to be alone in the arena waiting area?" Trunks asked. He knew he had felt nervous a time or two while down there. He may be strong, but a knife to the throat while he slept would kill him as easily as anyone else. Tournament competitors weren't allowed to watch their opponents before their match with them and to enforce that all competitors were forced to sleep within specified rooms directly connected to the arena they would fight in.

The high master picked himself from the wall and glared at Sapphire as he yelled several profanities. Sapphire didn't even acknowledge them. She was too busy kicking his ass.

"No, she's fine. Any problems she'll encounter will be when she leaves the city. This is the last place anyone would want to start an unsanctioned fight. You'd have gods, guards, and maybe even other competitors crawling up your ass so fast and hard that you'll wish you had brought an extra large can of ass lube." Gohan replied.

After a long and intricate pattern of hand waving several demonic looks runes appeared in the air. The high master grabbed the runes and slammed them into the ground.

"That's… a rather graphic way of putting it."

The runes exploded into a bright red light as a massive demonic gate rose from the ground. Looking like a typical demon gate it used skeletons, piles of flesh, and tortured souls to make the boundaries.

"Effective though."

A titanic roar echoed through the arena as a demon lord stepped through the gate and stared Sapphire down. The high master ordered it to kill Sapphire. The demon lord wasn't normally one to take orders, and normally he wouldn't, but Sapphire was female, and quite good looking one for that matter. She was for more useful, in many ways, than the summoner.

"But Trunks, I can't believe how much you've improved." Gohan said in wonder.

The ground shook as the demon barrelled down on Sapphire. The high master folded his arms and began to look smug, completely forgetting the fact that summoning a demon without a summoning circle meant he had absolutely zero control over it.

"Yes, this tournament has proven quite useful. I hadn't entered initially to learn anything. I just wanted to do something, didn't feel like sitting on the sidelines for the entire time." Trunks admitted, "But when I finally got a chance to think about it, I realized that this could be more than just a way to stretch my muscles, but also a way to grow stronger."

The demon slammed into the shield and bounced off. It sat up and looked at the shield incredulously. By sheer principle shields crumbled at his mere touch. Sapphire was completely calm, even standing in the direct path of a charging demon lord. In fact, she was currently smiling at the demon as she raised a hand towards it.

"True, that sword you carry around is no longer simply something cool looking. It has become a deadly weapon. One that can be used on opponents as strong, if not stronger, than yourself. You no longer have to hope your opponent is weak, and has no weapon knowledge at all to wield it effectively."

A rift in reality appeared above the demon. The demon looked up and screamed, it knew what that attack was, and it wasn't a simple happy banish you back to the demon realm type attack.

"Hey, I beat Frieza with this sword!"

A massive pillar of light shot from the rift and engulfed the demon lord in a world of pain. This attack was one of those 'holy fucking shit just kill me already you sick, twisted bitch' type attacks that was used more to torture information from demons than kill them. However, if the attack was strong enough, like this one currently was, it could do both torture and kill the demon. This was going to be one painful trip back to hell for THIS demon lord.

"My point exactly."

"You can be a little more grateful you know. I did save your planet."

The high master stared at Sapphire in shock as the demon lord was seemingly defeated without effort. Sapphire began to draw an intricate pattern in the air.

"I was, didn't you see me thank you?"

The high master didn't want to wait to see what kind of attack that may be. Runes were only required for the most powerful of spells. The rest could simply be thrown upon command. He shot several globes of fire at Sapphire and erected a wall of earth between him and his opponent.

"No, I just saw you drink my pop."

Sapphire finished and a massive set of runes appeared around her.

"Hey! You offered!"

Sapphire's shield dropped and the arena erupted into a huge globe of blue light encompassing every portion of the arena. A god standing nearby was pouring additional energy into the shield to keep it from collapsing.

"Yes, one, not a dozen. I had to restock that fridge when I got back home!"

"Oh the horror!"

A horrible scream erupted from within the dome of energy as the high master felt all of his protections ripped from him.

"Damn straight, you got any idea how hard it is to find a working pop machine in a world ravaged by androids?"

"You don't NEED a working pop machine; just rip a couple out of a broken one. It's pop for kai's sake, just stick it in the fridge at home for a couple hours and poof, there you go."

A massive explosions echoed through the arena. The energy began to dissipate to reveal a completely unharmed Sapphire, and a rather mangled body of what one would suppose was the remains of the high master.

"I never thought of that."

"…"

The high mastered fell to the ground, dead long before he landed. Sapphire had won yet another match without getting touched.

"Hey, what's that look for?"

"Nothing…"

"AND SAPPHIRE WINS HER TENTH MATCH! Ladies and gentleman, this is one female you do NOT want to mess around with. Not only is it her tenth consecutive win, it's her tenth PERFECT win. She has yet to even be touched by her opponent. Will she keep this streak and be the first person to take the championship without getting hurt? Who knows, but what I do know is that we have a legend in the making here!" The announcer cried. This time it was a Goddess. A younger goddess, but a goddess nevertheless. The spell slinging competition was generally one of the more dangerous and had gods constantly watching it. Some of the spells that were slung back and forth could easily rip the shield to shreds.

A massive roar of approval rose from the crowd as both men and female went wild. In the beginning they had been rather indifferent about her, after all though she was gorgeous, there were other females that were as pretty, if not more so, and wearing far skimpier clothing. However most of THOSE females had been defeated already whereas Sapphire had not. She had the power and brains to back her beauty and that had both females and males rooting for her more than just about anyone else. She had quickly become one of the favorites.

Trunks and Gohan were alone as they watched her match. It wasn't because they wanted to, per-say, rather that Trunks had been granted a private booth that was meant as both a present for coming first and a way to escape the hordes of fan girls that chased him constantly. Gohan was with him because he was Trunks' closet friend and since the booth couldn't hold more than two, and well enough said. Everyone else was in the crowd watching the fight from a less than desirable location that made Gohan glad he was Trunks' friend.

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"I hate this place! Why are we stuck here!" Vegeta snarled as he stared at the two rows of huge, fat people that seemed to enjoy blocking the best parts of the match.

"Shut up Vegeta, we didn't have anywhere else to go. It was here or miss it entirely." Karreth said as she smacked Vegeta lightly over the head.

Blight and everyone else just laughed quietly. They had come to realize that the two of them would never admit that they actually cared about one another like a brother and sister should but it wouldn't stop them from showing it in their own personal kind of way.

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-oo-O-oo-

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A couple days later…

_Ashlay… Ashlay..._

Blight looked around as he tried to identify the source of the voice.

_Ashlay…_

Blight began to move forward, and as he did so the landscape changed as it morphed itself.

_Ashlay… come here…_

Blight frowned, the voice sounded… desperate, almost as if it was a plea for help. He began to move forward and the view changed yet again, and he knew he was no longer on his planet. Everything was foreign to him. Especially the lack of trees, it really hit home considering the majority of his world was covered in huge, lush forests.

_Come to me…_

Ashlay moved forward again and this time the landscape didn't morph and change, it zipped beneath him at super sonic speeds as he was draw irresistibly towards a certain destination. He stopped moving when he reached a sizeable mountain range and before him towered the greatest mountain he had ever seen. It towered so high that the tip of it disappeared into the clouds above. The cloud, however, was far from normal. It was an inky black color that really didn't look to healthy, and by looking at the dead grass all around him he figured the natural surroundings had agreed with him.

_Come… my child…_

Blight's eyes widened as he was sucked into the mountain and appeared within a huge cavern. Huge tunnels, large enough to easily stand the tallest trees up on end in, were seen all of the place, but the tunnels, as large as they may be, paled in comparison to the sheer gargantuan size of the cavern. Blight thought that the huge central city on his world could have fit within this cavern, although an exaggeration, it was probably not by very much. Throughout the cavern, massive terraces could be seen jutting from the sides of the cavern with little to no support, while some seemed to just simply hang in mid air.

"What… is this place?" Blight asked in wonder.

"This is where you were born." A voice said.

Blight quickly turned around and there, standing off to the side, was a gargantuan dragon. It was covered from head to tail in large, plates of silver and gold while a long main of silver hair flowed down her head and neck. Eyes, similar in color to the scales, stared down at Blight from the enormous head.

Blight held his head as a couple memories filtered through his mind. "... Mother…?" Blight asked.

The dragon smiled, "I see you haven't completely forgotten me." She replied as she moved closer. She positioned herself beside Blight and wrapped her tail around him. Now normally when a 200 foot long dragon wraps their tail around you it tends to be a little nerve wracking, but Blight felt more safe and secure now than he could ever remember.

"What's going on…? I was sleeping and…" Blight was at a loss for words.

"I brought you here, my child." The dragon said, "I wished to speak with you, for you are the last of my children."

"The last… what do you mean?" Blight asked.

"I mean, all of your siblings have been killed. You alone remain alive because you were sent away when you were but a child."

"So… why now… why speak to me after all these years?" Blight asked bitterly.

"Because you are in danger…" She replied.

"What? What do you mean?"

"They have found you, and are coming for you. You need to flee."

"No." Blight said flatly. "I have friends now and someone to love and care for. I will not abandon it all. Whoever they are, they will not find someone cowering in some deep, dark hole."

"You… have found a mate?" She asked curiously and perplexed. "How is that possible? That world should not have any draconic creatures."

"She's not a dragon, she's a human, but that doesn't mean I love her any less." Blight answered.

"Then I'm afraid both you, and her, will die when they come." The dragoness said sadly.

"Maybe… maybe not." Blight said with a smile. "I've made some friends, some frighteningly powerful friends. Especially the one named Gohan; his power exceeds that of even the gods."

The dragons eyes widened in surprise and then hope. "You are certain of this?"

Blight nodded, "Yes, his friends have all talked about how powerful he is, and I myself have witnessed a portion of it. But what's more, he and his friends have abilities that are capable of destroying solar systems. It's frightening, and comforting at the same time, to be friends with people that possess cataclysmic powers."

"Then maybe…" She pondered for a moment.

"What?"

"I know I have not been a very good mother, and I know that you owe us nothing. But… if your friends are as powerful as you say they are then perhaps they could not only defeat the force that is heading in your direction, but also those that still remain here." The dragon asked.

Blight frowned, "It wouldn't be my decision. It would be there's. If they wish to come, they will, but I will not. My place is where I am now, with the one I love."

"Does she know."

Blight shook her head. "Not yet, but I intend to tell her before things are taken too far. Just in case she feels for some reason she… can't love someone inhuman."

The dragoness nodded. "I see… Well… I have said all I have wished to say. Farewell my son, and may the life you choose treat you well. For the pain I dealt you for not being there to help you grow you shall receive a gift of knowledge when you awaken."

"Wait…" Blight said. There were still many more questions he had yet to ask.

_Farewell… my son… _

Blight awoke with a start and quickly looked around. He was back in his room, everything was back to normal. He looked beside him and smiled at his love, sleeping softly beside him. It had all been just a dream.

Blight sighed, no, it had been more than a dream. He still remembers it, it wasn't fading in the slightest, and what's more, he knew things he didn't know before. Like how to transform into his draconic state, how to use draconic abilities and spells and many more things, like the geography of his planet, the denizens of the world, and much more information. Things he would have learned had he lived there and not here.

"Mmm… Ash… what's wrong?" Kaitlyn asked as she slowly sat up beside Blight. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she focused upon him.

"Maybe… maybe a lot of things…" Blight said. Kaitlyn's eyes widened slightly. Normally people would suppose to say 'oh it's nothing'.

"What's wrong." She asked, seriously worried as she wrapped her naked body around his.

"I just had a dream…" He started.

"Is that all?" She asked, her worry ebbed.

"… I think." That wasn't what she had hoped he'd say. "In it a voice kept calling me, and each time it called I would be drawn closer and closer. Soon I was brought to a different planet." Blight looked at Kaitlyn who was giving him a weird look. "I know it's strange but… It brought me into a huge cavern inside a mountain taller than this city. There… " Blight stopped. To go on he would need to tell Kaitlyn about himself.

"Blight?" Kaitlyn asked in concern. She was seriously worried.

"You know how I said I'd tell you later…" She nodded her head. "Well… I think that later has arrived." Blight said as he bowed his head. He didn't want to see her expression when he told her this.

"Take your time… I'm here." Kaitlyn may be pushy but even she knew when she had to let the other choose their own pace.

"What do you know about mythical creatures?" Blight asked.

"Not much, I know about demons, nasty things. And dragons, always wondered what it'd be like to fly. Also I've heard of the terrible Thrask and of angels and fish men, but that's it. Sorry." She said.

"No, it's alright. Well… you know what Emerald said awhile ago, that only bipedal creatures go by that custom where only royalty and nobles had surnames."

"Yes, that's correct, are you some sort of prince...?" She asked. She hoped that was all it is but for some reason she had a feeling it was more than that, otherwise what would be the point of asking about mythical creatures.

"No… I'm… I'm not a bipedal creature." Blight said softly. "I'm a dragon… My dream… in my dream my mother spoke to me, she said she sent me here when I was but a child. I don't know how I came to be in human form but since I never learned how to change or anything about my ancestry, other than that I was a dragon, it was rather easy to blend in with the humans here." Blight finished in a rush, hoping to get it all out before Kaitlyn had a time to respond.

It felt like an eternity to Blight as he sat there with his head bowed, waiting for Kaitlyn to respond. He didn't dare look up. He didn't want to see the look of disgust, horror, or any other expression like that.

"So… you mean… I'm going to be laying eggs?" Kaitlyn asked Blight quizzically.

Blight's head whipped up to meet her eyes. Kaitlyn had a funny scrunched up face as she thought about the problems that involved laying eggs. "You mean you don't…"

"Bah, who cares! You're you! So what if you're a dragon! At least now I can make you pay rent by flying me all over the place! I always did want to fly." Kaitlyn said as she tightened her embrace. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately. When they broke the kiss she looked a little worried. "But seriously, about the eggs… dragon's lay eggs… what does that mean about our children?" She asked.

Blight looked at her in surprise. After everything he told her, her biggest worry was about laying eggs? "I don't know, I just assumed we couldn't produce children."

"Oh, don't worry about that, we can." She said lightly.

"How do you…" Blight's eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

She smiled brightly and kissed him again. "Guess what I just missed love?" She said grinning.

Blight smiled softly as his eyes filled with love. Not only was he completely accepted by the one he loved, but he was going to be a father soon as well. "I… I see. I'm…" He couldn't find the words.

"Hush my love, I understand, now let's go back to sleep, we still have time for a couple more hours of rest." Kaitlyn said as she slowly laid back down, bringing Blight with her.

Blight wrapped his arms around Kaitlyn and whispered, "Thank you." As he drifted off to sleep with his head resting against her bosom.

"No… thank you my love… I don't think you will ever realize how much you mean to me, you are the first, and only, person to ever see me… for me…" Kaitlyn whispered to herself as she pulled the covers up and fell asleep, cradling Blight in her arms.

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-oo-O-oo-

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Later the next day…

"Well ladies and gentlemen; it's time for the final match of the tournament! It's been a long while but the last match is finally here. Not only will this match signal the end of the spell casting tournament, but also the tournament as a whole and what a pair we have today!" The goddess announced. "First off we have a rookie, new to this tournament. Sapphire is her name, and everyone has been talking about her, brains, beauty, power, and a whole lot more. She has dominated this tournament having reached this far after ten consecutive wins without having taking a single scratch. Will she be able to keep this streak or will her competitor this time be able to bring her down? As for her competitor we have Gahlanthas, critically acclaimed as the greatest mage of all time. He's won this tournament since it began, and that makes him very old. But for him, age means power. Being the chosen of the goddess of magic his life span has been increased dramatically from that of other elves and he has only grown stronger over the years. How will Sapphire match up with the greatest mage to grace the mortal races?"

The two approached the center of the arena from opposite sides, stopping just a few meters from one another.

"How goes it Gahlanthas?" Sapphire asked with a smile. She had heard many things about Gahlanthas, and the thought of going up against him excited her.

"I'm well, you?" He replied.

"I'm fine, a little excited."

Gahlanthas just smiled.

"Let the last battle… COMMENCE!"

"Please, come at me with all your power." Gahlanthas said as he floated away. Massive spell contingencies began to spring up around him.

"Don't worry, against someone of your calibre, I don't feel the need to hold back." Sapphire said as she floated away as well.

"Good, I have great hope for you. To be honest I wish to be defeated."

"What?"

"This tournament has grown boring. It's become… simply a routine adventure on my part, no challenge, no gain. If I lose, I may have lost the tournament but I will end up with more than I started. Now, come at me, let's see how much power you can wield, Chosen of the Universe." Gahlanthas said.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as this declaration was made. They had never heard of such a chosen, but it sounded important.

A powerful shield erupted around Sapphire as she raised her hands. Ten bolts of lightning shot from her finger tips. Gahlanthas smirked as the bolts of lightning slammed into his shield, and did nothing. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. The huge wall of earth that had arisen behind him to crush him shattered into a million pieces, pieces that were then shot towards Sapphire with mind numbing force.

Only to be stopped and whirled around by a miniature tornado that Sapphire had conjured up. As the tornado barrelled down upon Gahlanthas spikes of earth began ripping through the ground beneath him. He clapped his hands together and turned the ground into mud as he levitated a few feet into the air. A moment later an explosion erupted within the center of the tornado causing it to collapse upon itself.

The stone fragments, now freed from the tornado, resumed their journey towards Sapphire. It was at this time that Sapphire noticed the ground beneath her growing soft and her eyes widened slightly. Gahlanthas was turning the entire arena into a huge mud hole. With a couple quick waves of her hand she levitated into the air, along with the mud. She took the mud and shot it towards Gahlanthas, absorbing the stone fragments along the way.

The wave of mud rippled over Gahlanthas and transformed into water. The water separated into two long sinuous spouts whose heads transformed into the likeliness of dragons. The dragons shot towards Sapphire. Arcs of lightning began to shoot from the dragons as lightning was pumped into them making them even more deadly.

Sapphire raised one hand and pointed one down. Twin dragons of fire appeared from thin air and were sent spiralling towards the dragons of water. There was a titanic crash as the dragons collided in the center of the arena but neither attack ended there. Or rather, both competitors had placed surprises with theirs. Twin dragons of lightning slammed into Sapphire's shield, and this time she did feel it. With a quick wave of her hand she was able to stabilize it and bring it under control just in time to witness her bolt of ether smash into Gahlanthas' shield, and destroy it.

Unfortunately for Sapphire, the shield wasn't the only protective measure Gahlanthas relied upon. Twenty glowing orbs of energy appeared around him and one of them zipped in front of the bolt of ether. There was a small flash of light as the two cancelled each other out.

"Good, good. You're much more talented than many of these self claimed masters." Gahlanthas said happily. He was truly enjoying this battle. It wasn't often that he was given a challenge like this.

The battle began to heat up tremendously at this point. Balls of fire and bolts of lightning lashed back and forth faster than most people could think. Spikes of ice and earth smashed against the protective barriers of the two competitors. Even the force of nature was used against one another as earthquakes, tornados, acid, and magma were thrown against one another. Gahlanthas seemed to have an endless supply of protective barriers, as one disappeared another replaced it, while Sapphire's just seemed to weather them all, regardless of what it was. Even runic magic couldn't take the shield down.

At one point during the fight it look as if a miniature war was taking place right there in the arena. Summons of all kinds were brought forth: from elementals to animals, from ethereal creatures to extra-dimensional beings. Everything seemed to be summoned up and summarily destroyed by the other caster and/or their summons. Soon every part of the arena had been damaged to some degree. The casters had both permanently taken to the air to help reduce the number of spells capable of being sent their way.

But then one of the most dangerous disasters of all began to brew within the arena. Very rarely does such an occurrence happen and generally only during the peak of wars when there are hundreds of mages throwing spells at one another. The very fact that it was happening was a testament to the sheer power the two beings in the arena wielded. To be able to cause a spell storm, perhaps the most dangerous disaster possible, was truly frightening.

A spell storm is a rare occurrence as stated above. Every spell that is cast leaves a trail, a residual behind when it disappears. The residuals disappear, given enough time, usually within an hour or two hence why there is generally a delay between matches to help the residuals dissipate. However, should the rate of spells cast exceed that of the rate of residual disappearance, and should it occur for too long a time, much like what was currently happening, a spell storm occurs. A spell storm is a storm that just randomly lashes out at anyone or anything using the residuals as a source for its spells. What makes a spell storm so dangerous is that it is uncontrolled magical exertion, the spells slung about during a spell storm are generally impossible to duplicate, and always fatal. They defy all laws of magic hence when such a storm occur even bitter enemies become friends for a short while as they fight to protect all existence from the storm.

However with this fight the only two at risk were Sapphire and Gahlanthas as additional gods came to reinforce the shield. It didn't matter if the two combatants died. The last to die would be the winner and they'd simply be brought back anyways so they considered the spell storm as a way of insuring the battle didn't last too long.

"A spell storm, been quite some time since I last witnessed one of these." Gahlanthas said as he threw bolt of ether after bolt of ether.

"This is my first time seeing it. It's pretty is it not?" Sapphire said as she gazed directly at the clouds of magic gathering at the upper reaches of the shield.

"So, another finally thinks the same as me." Gahlanthas said with a grin. "Truly one of the greatest wonders of nature and the one force that has yet to be controlled. The ability to watch and study such a storm shall make me a winner in my mind, regardless the outcome of this match."

"Then let us create a storm such that its likeliness shall never be seen again." Sapphire said as she stretched her hands out to the side and closed her eyes.

Gahlanthas did like wise, mimicking Sapphire's stance. It wasn't that he was copying her, but merely that it was the position that allowed for the greatest concentration and control over the ether, and therefore, spells.

The crowd was awed into silence as the amount of spells that lashed back and forth doubled, and then tripled as every conceivable spell, and some made up on the spot, were slammed against the other. A whirlwind appeared around the edges of the arena as the spells continued to lash out at ever increasing rates. The entire arena floor, the air, and all the moisture within it, became a vessel of attack as the two wrestled over control of the natural elements around them. Spirit lances, powerful enough to tear apart the souls of even the highest order demon, were thrown back and forth. Waves of fire, geysers of magma, sheets of lightning, cones of acid and blizzards filled with razor sharp ice crystals, all were slung back and forth. The air howled and screamed as it was torn apart. The earth moaned and cried as it was shredded and reduced to nothing. Even the very fabric of reality was bent in places as spells of god like power were tossed back and forth like they were nothing more than simple play toys.

And then the storm opened, raining down death from above.

Crystals the size of mountains fell, bending time and space around it as it threatened to trap all within its grasp. Balls of pure, uncontrolled force ripped around the arena with minds of their own, seeking out blindly anything they could as if they were possessed minds of their own. Death in its purest form, a black, inky cloud, washed down and blanketed the arena floor, and out from the depths eyes stared out, innocent in every way, completely oblivious to all the evils of the world. Fire and water, combined to create an impossible element rebounded off the arena's shields, as it hungrily searched for something to impale. Beams of positrons rained down from above, shattering everything they touched and through it all Sapphire and Gahlanthas weaved and dodged around the attacks, all the while still firing spells of mind numbing force between each other at a furious pace.

And then luck seemed to strike out against Sapphire.

Multiple powerful spell piercing attacks slammed into Sapphire at once, momentarily destroying her shield but before she had a chance to bring it back up a bolt of fire and water slammed into her from behind. A massive explosion rippled through the arena as more and more spells, both from the spell storm and from Gahlanthas slammed into her.

Gahlanthas smirked, thinking he had won, but suddenly an even greater explosion rippled through the arena. With a piercing cry that surpassed the ability of his mind to comprehend it resounded through the arena as a massive, soundless shockwave rippled out from Sapphire.

Gahlanthas' eyes widened when he saw her. She was completely unharmed. The attacks had done nothing. Sapphire opened her eyes and stared directly at Gahlanthas and he realized he was wrong. Her eyes were gone, replaced entirely by pure magic. The spells hadn't gone off, they had been absorbed.

Sapphire raised her hand and pointed it at Gahlanthas and raised the other to the sky.

"I wasn't intending to use this but now is as good a time as any." Sapphire said quietly, her voice echoing with power.

Another soundless shockwave ensued and suddenly the spell storm seemed to bend and twist as it was drawn into Sapphire's palm. Soon all spells were drawn into her upraised hand and consequentially into her body. Her body began to vibrate and glow with every color of the spectrum and when every last residual of magic had been collected Sapphire tilted her head and smiled.

It was only a small ball of energy that left her outstretched hand, about the size of a hardball. Of course, most hardballs don't warp reality as they fly through the air. They also don't move at several hundred times the speed of sound. And what's more, they don't impact with world shattering force, which is exactly what this little ball of energy did. This ball of energy was pure, unaltered, liquid magic; magic in its absolute purest form, and beyond the ability of most mortals to even comprehend.

So it was a very surprised Gahlanthas that received the first globe of pure magic to ever exist within the mortal realm. With an explosion on par with the planet killer Kid Buu used to destroy Earth the globe of energy detonated upon Gahlanthas' chest.

The entire arena erupted into a huge, fiery ball of death and destruction. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes until the light dimmed down. When everything cleared only one thing remained in the arena: Sapphire. No dirt, no moisture, nothing, just Sapphire hovering in a vacuum similar to that of space. There was short, but powerful rush of wind as the shield was lowered and air rushed back into the arena allow Sapphire to finally breathe.

A goddess appeared in the arena where Gahlanthas once stood and held her hands out wide as she concentrated. Slowly but surely Gahlanthas' body was reconstructed and his consciousness replanted within it. After all, he was the chosen of that goddess. She rescued his mind and soul at the last possible moment and returned them to the body she reconstructed. Sapphire's attack, much like the spell storm she absorbed, defied all laws of magic. It would have destroyed the mind and soul as well as the body if the goddess had not intervened. Magic, was not a tangible force, yet she had turned it into such.

"I… Well… What… DID YOU SEE THAT!" The announcer screamed in shock and excitement. "THAT WAS AMAZING! SAPPHIRE IS THE WINNER OF THE TOURNAMENT WITH ONE HELL OF A CLIMATIC ATTACK!" Just because she was a goddess didn't mean she got to see liquid magic every day. In fact, it was rare for that to occur, even in the pantheon of the gods. She took a deep breath and continued a little more calmly. "For the first time since the creation of this tournament Gahlanthas has been defeated! This match… this match is one for the record books."

"I guess I win." Sapphire said with a smile as she stretched out a hand towards her opponent.

"Yes, you did." Gahlanthas said as he grabbed it in return. "And a well deserve win it is. I had grown tired of winning anyways. Much like with your friend Trunks, learning was more important than winning."

Sapphire's blinked in surprise as they shook hands. "How did you know?"

Gahlanthas smiled, "I may be old, but I'm not blind. We are both winners this time. You may have taken the championship, but I've taken something much more valuable."

"What?" Sapphire said as they released each other.

"Because of you, I have uncovered the secret to controlling spell storms. There is a whole new plateau of magic waiting for me to tap into. When next we meet, I won't be so easily beaten." Gahlanthas replied.

Sapphire smiled back.

Trunks turned Gohan from up where they were sitting in the booth. "Gohan…"

"Ya?"

"Remind me to never piss Sapphire off."

"Alright… never piss Sapphire off."

"…"

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Several hours later…

The top four competitors from each category were gathered in the huge, central arena where Gahlanthas' and Sapphire's match had spectacularly ended only a few hours prior. It was time for the awards to be handed out.

"The top four martial artists are, in order: Solar, Blight, Bardock, and Titan." The admin of the games said as he stepped up before the four competitors.

"Titan, for placing fourth, shall receive fifty thousands gold pieces for coming forth." Titan grabbed the bag of money and grinned. He could buy a lot of slaves for that mount of gold.

"Bardock, who came in third, shall also receive fifty thousand gold pieces, as well as a pair of magical rings that will enhance energy attacks." Bardock took the prize and smirked. The gold he didn't care about, but the rings were a nice prize.

"Blight, for taking second place, shall receive half a million gold pieces and have his status raised to that of a noble and have the surname Mythril added to his name." Blight bowed and graciously accepted both the gold and the title. He had a feeling that a certain someone had a hand in the last part of his prize. The admin of the tournament had almost absolute power. There were only three things he couldn't do. Give people away, grant godly gifts, or do anything that would affect any of the current ruling families. And the last could be done if at the request of a ruling family. Up in the crowd Kaitlyn's eyes sparkled happily. After all, she was gaining a lot from this tournament: A husband, a child, and half a million gold pieces. After all, all good husbands share their wealth, right? And if Blight wasn't willing at first, she knew a few ways to… persuade him.

"And for Solar, who reigns as champion for the second time, you shall have one wish granted, as long as it is within our power to do so." The admin said.

"Yes, I know this from my last tournament." Solar said as she looked at the ground. She sighed and looked up, "There isn't anything I want, or rather, the things I do, can't be granted."

The admin blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? You can have one wish…"

Solar smiled sadly, "One wish… I think I'll pass on it then. The only things I desire can't be given." Solar replied.

The admin nodded, "Alright, I understand. That concludes it for the martial artists! Everyone, give them a big round of applause!"

The crowd roared its approval as the four stood there, basking in the glory. It was, after all, their right for coming this far relying on their own strengths.

A while later they finally got around to dealing with the sword masters.

The first received the same prize as Titan, fifty thousand gold pieces whereas the third received two hundred thousand.

"Zaknafein, for coming in second you shall receive this ancient scroll taken from deep within our vaults. Being as renowned as you are, gold isn't really a problem. The exact value of this scroll is unknown but within it are several weapon techniques that have been sealed for ages. We believe that you, if anyone, are capable of not only mastering these techniques, but making sure they aren't used to dominate others." The admin said as he handed an ancient scroll sealed within an air tight canister to Zaknafein. Zaknafein bowed his head as he took the canister. He knew what was within these scrolls, many did. Within them were some of the most deadly and destructive moves ever created for weapons.

"And Trunks, for placing first, you shall be granted one wish if it is within our power." The admin said.

Trunks nodded and grinned. "I've thought about this and I know what I want." Trunks said as he reached behind and unbuckled his sword. "I noticed that all of the weapons here were enchanted, however mine is not. I would like it to be enchanted as much as possible so that it's stronger, faster, sharper, and perhaps a couple of other extras like only I, or those I specifically choose, are capable of wielding it." Trunks said as he held his sword out before him.

"You mean to say you won without an enchanted sword?" The admin asked incredulously.

One of the gods stepped forward and took the sword and examined it carefully. He unsheathed it and his eyes widened in surprise. "It's made out of pure runite." He said in wonder. Eyes widened across the arena, everyone had heard of runite.

Runite was one of the rarest metals in the universe. It was, however, quite common in the fourth universe but they didn't need to know that but anyways. Not usable unless a large amount of it was compressed and molded together and even then it required extreme temperatures to do such a thing. It would have bankrupted a planet and depleted half the runite resources in the third universe to create such a blade. However, should one manage to create such a blade, they would hold within their grasp a weapon of inestimable value. Should any other medium be used to create a weapon only a single layer of runes could be laid upon its surface. However, with runite the medium would absorb the runes, allowing for an infinite amount of runes to be casted upon the blade. This, combined with its natural strength, would create a weapon fitting of a god.

"Your wish shall be granted." The admin said.

"Don't worry little one." The god said. "I shall personally over see the enchanting of this blade. It is much too valuable to leave solely in the hands of mortal enchanters. You shall have it back by the end of tomorrow, and it shall be a blade that will outshine all others."

"Thank you." Trunks said, bowing deeply. He honestly had no idea his blade was made out of runite. But then, he never had been all that into metals. He had simply received it as a gift from Tapion after the androids mortally wounded him after killing Hildegarn.

And finally it was time for the last four people to be granted their prize. The fourth received the gold; he did have several debts he had to pay up. The third place person received some valuable scrolls.

"Gahlanthas, we are not quite sure what to reward you with. The past several tournaments you asked for nothing with your wish." The admin said. "However, if you wish, we could always reward you with half a million gold coins. I know you don't really need money but a little more never really hurt."

Gahlanthas chuckled, "It's quite alright. I'll accept it. Don't want to appear rude and turn down the administration too many times." Gahlanthas replied. He graciously took the bag of coins and tied it to his belt. Truth be told his next adventures were going to require quite a bit of funding and every little bit helped.

"And Sapphire, you have now taken title of the greatest mage of all time. Your reward shall be, of course, something you wish. Simply name it, and it will be granted." The admin said solemnly as he bowed to Sapphire. After all, he too was a mage while he wasn't running the tournament and Sapphire had just surpassed him and became his superior.

"What I want is the Staff of Destruction, and someone who can train me in the use of it." Sapphire said with a smile.

The admin blinked in surprise while Gahlanthas laughed, "You hardly need that Sapphire." Gahlanthas said.

"I know, but it just looks cool, and if I'm going to be carrying it around I might as well know how to use the thing." Sapphire said with a grin.

Gahlanthas laughed heartily, as did many others. "Well, if they can grant you the staff, I'll be able to train you in its use. I do, after all, wield the staff of domination, albeit more as a walking stick than anything else. They're both a part of a group of five staves."

The admin nodded his head, "Alright then, if Gahlanthas thinks it's alright then I have shall also think it's alright. The staff shall be delivered to you as soon as we unseal it from it's holding in the vault."

"Thank you." Sapphire said happily.

To be continued…

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A/N: And so ends the tournament. Didn't get to quite where I wanted but its 8k words so I might as well finish there. Hopefully I can finish this world in the next chapter, if not than for sure the one after. I seem to have a habit of drawing things out. There will be LOTS of plot/character development in the next chapter. And all the side characters (those not part of the main group) will be fleshed out as far as I'll take them. I also hope to bring to light more about Sapphire.

A/N: Yay, Sapphire's special ability has been brought to the fore front! She can absorb magical attacks; however like Blight it does have its downfalls. Think of what happens when you blow too much air into a balloon.

A/N: The gold is all in bags of holding, also a concept taken from Forgotten Realms. Bags of holding are basically doorways to extra-dimensional chambers that can hold an extremely large amount of stuff.

A/N: About Tapion and Hildegarn (I know I spelt that wrong) Hildegarn is far stronger than the androids, but the androids of Trunks' time had limitless supply of energy, and Hildegarn was far too stupid to try and overwhelm them all at once. He had simply been worn down and destroyed after several months of constant battle. Also since it was merely a pair of legs attack them it really wasn't all that much of a problem.


	18. Chapter 17: A New Enemy

Response to Reviews:

Dany le fou – Oh no, you don't understand, THIS planet is going to be wrapped up in 1 or 2 chapters, NOT the universe. There's still another planet and another hero to meet up with Gohan and the others before they finish with this story, whoops, gave something away, oh well hehe :). Oh, and btw, if you had noticed, Sai and Elena were in a TECHNOLOGICAL place, not a magical one. They aren't in the third universe. The eyes, character development (hoping to flesh out Sapphire more), and 1 of I think 3 (at the very least 2 and some minor fights) apocalyptic battles are in this chapter. The BIG one at the end of this universe will be on the next planet and I'm thinking it'll be an entire 8-10k word chapter. I figure I'll be done this universe by chapter 20. I hope anyways, probably end up being like 22 or 23 or something like that.

Lq – Solar wants love. She's been so obsessed with power that she completely neglected something that surpasses even that. She realized that while fighting Bardock. She's off to find someone to love and care for. And to start a family. And as for Gohan vs God? No. There's no reason, they know who he is, and who he's working for. The god's are staying neutral in the matter. They're engaging neither side. Giving a couple tips and hints yes just to spruce things up but no direct conflicts.

WiseImmortal – I take it you like my story then :).

Cash – Regardless of whether other people mind or not, I do. I want to be able to finish this. I'm not gonna just drop it, but if I drag it out too long I might just end up doing that so things MAY be a bit rushed, but at least the story will get completed.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan – Ummm… If I have a mystic saiyan later, I'll have one. As for base power-up… That table is so wrong, wow. No offense but… no, that increase is far too large for my liking. If he goes mystic ssj it'll be about half again as much an increase as it is for, say, Trunks to power up to SSJ. And Bojack is never going to be freed as Cell will die before he becomes a threat meaning King Kai's planet will never blow and Bojack will forever remain imprisoned. Brolly has already been taken care of and since there won't be any androids, or alternate time lines… The classic DBZ bad guys will not be making an appearance in this story, not beyond what they already have made. But ya, I do agree on the LSSJ transformation being mutation. I bet most people don't realize though, that evolution is created through mutation. Brolly is the next level of saiyan evolution.

reader – nice review :P.

Legend – Oh I see, I guess there isn't much to comment on about my story eh? That's what I want people to review about, comments on different aspects. What was good, what was bad, what was alright. I won't improve if I don't know what I do right or wrong. Dany le fou is quite good at giving reviews because he points out plot holes, mistakes, while at the same time identifying things I do right, in his own little way at least.

Jeff C – There will be genocide, many people seem to think that THIS world is the only world they're gonna be on in this universe, it's so not the only one. Now do you see why I wish to hurry up? Both the second and third universes will have multiple events on multiple planets. Those dragons may not even be what they are supposed to genocide. They were just manipulated by the enemy of the two.

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**Chapter 17: A New Enemy  
**

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The sound of wood striking wood resounded through the courtyard accompanied by the sounds of crackling and small sonic booms. Sapphire and Gahlanthas circled one another as they swung their staves at each other, twisting, dodging and twirling around each other. Unlike most weapons staffs have two ends to it so when one twirled away from the opponent they still had the capability of striking a meaningful blow with the opposite end of the staff. Such was the reason why such simple weapons were still effective weapons. That and it was also the perfect medium for concentrated spells. It was quite easy to use a staff; it was incredibly hard to master it, more so than most weapons. A staff, wielded by a master, could take on any number of other opponents at the same time, as long as their stamina held out at least. Gahlanthas, despite his age, was far stronger and spryer than many would give him credit for.

It was nearly a month since the tournament had ended and everyone received their gifts. Kaitlyn had invited them all back to her place, and by place she was referring to a rather large, elegant castle that looked like it could withstand a siege lasting several hundred years. With five walls separating the outskirts of the city and the inner palace, each one LARGER than the previous and with an additional battlement each time, it was no wonder people often bypassed this fortress when they had plans of conquest. Kai'Honar was a fortress city. Every aspect of it was laid out to maximize defensibility. Even the way the streets and houses were laid out and constructed it allowed for easy movement and defense for the defenders at virtually every point in the city. To make matters worse the inner palace itself was nestled between two mountains in a long mountain range, making coming from behind virtually impossible. Especially since the third ruler decided to employ a mage to make the valley nestled behind the palace ringed by an endless rift. Adding a small wall at the inner edge and it was virtually impossible to scale. A child could hold off an army there with relative ease.

Kaitlyn, much to the surprise of Gohan and his friends, had been quite serious when she said she'd stake her father's head on a pole. In fact it was still there, albeit not much more than a skull now due to ravens picking it clean. She was now the current ruler of Kai'Honar and her first decree upon taking her fathers seat was to order Blight to marry her, not that she really needed to order him, he was more than willing. Blight had spent much of the time back catching up with his old friends and, keeping Kaitlyn company in various ways. His friends had all been surprised at how strong he had become, and many of them jealous of his current relationship with Kaitlyn. But Blight didn't mind since those that he cared about the most, like Uyth and a few others didn't seem to mind much.

Kaitlyn, when she wasn't doing Blight, err… doing things with Blight, or taking care of the mounds of paper work, the main reason why she laments killing her father, she disliked the paper work, she was seen talking to Karreth. The two had hit off immediately being of similar status, of the same gender, and of like mind in many aspects. This, of course, made Gohan quite nervous. He knew Karreth still wanted him, and after the first week he had taken to sleeping in a place OTHER than his quarters. Kaitlyn had shown Karreth some secret passages that led specifically to his room and it was quite a surprise the first few nights when he awoke to find a naked Karreth nestled against him, pressing her special places against him.

Karreth, Vegeta, and Bardock were often seen sparring with each other. They had two levels to reach, the level of Trunks, and the level of Gohan, and none would be satisfied until the reached those levels. They had taken to sparring in the small valley behind the palace and often times an earthquake would wrack Kai'Honar when an especially powerful blast erupted. Each night however the valley would restore itself, a special enchantment that the fifth ruler had placed upon it saw to it that it could never be destroyed, not for any length of time anyways. Bardock sometimes took control of the sparring matches to teach the others about strategy and how to use ones mind, as well as their brawn, in battle.

During the first week after Trunks had received his newly enchanted sword, he spent the majority of the time testing out its new capabilities. His sword had gained everything he asked for, a permanent edge, increased durability and the rest. But also its length was increased by several inches and all sorts of neat features had been added to it, like being able to empower it with different types of elements or even combining them all into an omni-element. After the first week it was the library that occupied much of Trunks' time as well as Bardock's, when he wasn't sparring or eating or sleeping. Trunks searched read through the books learning about the different ways science had taken to this world. He was truly disappointed in many categories but there were a few areas where he was pleasantly surprised, like building architecture and land agricultural practices. In addition to these he also read up on war strategies and combat strategies for both martial arts and weapons. Since he was going to be using his sword more often he might as well read up on how it handles against various types of weapons. Bardock, like Trunks, also read up on war and combat strategies, hoping to add to his already vast repertoire.

Vegeta, oddly enough, spent quite a bit of time just sitting on the upper battlements staring up into the sky and thinking. He wouldn't say what it was, or why he was doing it when asked. He just simply, in his usual tone and temperament, tells them to mind their own business.

Sapphire and Gahlanthas spent the vast majority of their time with one another. There wasn't anything going on between them, Sapphire still pinned after Gohan, it was just that there was so much for her to learn and she had that feeling that there wasn't a whole lot of time to learn it in. Half of the time was devoted to using the staff as a basic bludgeon weapon while the other half was dedicated to showing her what the special abilities of the staff were, how to use them, their capabilities, and when and were they should or shouldn't be used. Like using the genocide spell was not one that should be used on the fly. That spell, among several others like tectonic shift and volcanic eruption and cataclysmic impact, were the reasons it had been locked up in the first place. The staff of destruction was just that, a staff especially enchanted to use spells of mass destruction. Spells that couldn't be cast by a living object due to the repercussions placed upon the spells themselves. That didn't mean that ALL spells placed within the staff were cataclysmic, just the vast majority of them.

Solar had declined the invitation, saying there were things she had to do. The sad look in her eyes and voice gave indication as to just what those things were. She had realized that, sure, power is nice, but unless there is a reason to have it, it's useless, and unlike everyone else she didn't have anyone or anything to care for and protect. She had mumbled something about going back to her roots to start over.

Emerald had simply disappeared and no one knew where she had gone off to. She hadn't even been there when the offer was made. Right after Sapphire had made the request for the staff she had disappeared and had yet to be heard from since.

And Gohan, well he was everywhere. At times he'd join in on the spars with Vegeta, Karreth and Bardock, asking the three of them to go full out on him. He'd sit in on Sapphire's practice, encouraging her when she did something wrong and praising her when she did something exceptionally well. Other times he could be found in the library with Trunks and/or Bardock or, like Vegeta, just sit at the obscure location high up and stare into the sky thinking about big things that no one could figure out. About every fourth day he and Trunks would go some distance away from the fortress city and have an all out brawl between the two of them. The shockwaves, flashes of light, and earthquakes caused were all visible and/or felt by the residents of Kai'Honar but were far enough away to be little more than mere annoyances. Trunks always returned, carried by Gohan, beaten to within an inch of his life and Gohan unscathed but the whole point was that after their latest spar Gohan was actually a little winded when he returned. There wasn't much for him to do, not in his mind at least. He was beginning to get impatient. He felt as if something was coming, and he wanted to make sure everyone was ok when it arrived.

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Currently…

"Let's take a break Sapphire." Gahlanthas said as he lowered his staff. His stave, much like the staff of destruction, was incredibly powerful. Only his wasn't filled with spells of mass destruction. Like the name implied it was filled with spells used to bend, break and/or completely dominate the wills of others. It was powerful enough to turn a child, still growing inside its mother's womb, against the mother tearing her apart from the inside. As a result it was, by far, the most dangerous of the five staves which is why Gahlanthas has personally been keeping an eye on it.

Gahlanthas and Sapphire were both wearing plain white pants and white short sleeved shirts. Robes just weren't the kind of clothing one should be training in, especially if they're high quality.

"Alright." Sapphire said as she lowered her staff as well. She wiped the sweat from her brow and plopped down on the grass right there.

"You're doing awesome Sapphire." Gohan said as he sat down beside her. He had been watching her for most of the morning.

"Thank you." She said as she beamed a smile at him.

"Not only that but you're building muscle and definition as well. Swinging that staff around for six hours every day for the past month is starting to really show." He said with a grin as he squeezed her bicep.

Sapphire blushed, "Thanks… I think." She said. It was true what Gohan had said. She'd been training to be a mage her entire life, and very little of a mage's training involved any sort of physical exertion. As a result she had a highly developed and powerful mind, but a relatively weak body. She had a perfect figure, but none of the tone or muscle that most others had. However that had all changed. Sapphire lifted her shirt up to mid chest and stared at her abs. "I guess you're right." She had never really looked at her figure, not thinking much about it. She was one of those people that completely disregarded personal appearance and focused almost entirely upon the person themselves.

Gohan rubbed and poked her abs and for a moment Sapphire had the urge to grab his hands and push them further down but the urge was quick to transform into a raging blush. "I'd say that's an improvement." Gohan said with a smile.

"A healthy body is a sign of a healthy mind." Gahlanthas quoted an age old saying. "What most mages don't realize is that a strong mind is all well and good but if your body is unable to handle the strain of channelling the amount of ether your mind is capable of, that mental capability just goes to waste." Gahlanthas said, enlightening the two. Gahlanthas removed his shirt and there stood a body that would have made most body builders jealous. "I'm as powerful as I am because I am capable of using everything I have. Most mages are only capable of using a fifth, maybe a tenth at most, of their power due to weak bodies. The same was much with you Sapphire." Gahlanthas donned his shirt.

"What do you mean…?"

"You possess almost god like mental strength, but you're barely able to tap into it. I'd say 8 of it at most. That is because your body can't handle the strain of channelling more. You'll find that you'll be able to do far more with a stronger body." Gahlanthas informed.

Sapphire became nervous. Sure she wasn't upset with having a little muscle but she didn't want to look like those muscle bound freaks like Karreth and Solar. "But-."

Gahlanthas laughed, "I know what's bothering you. Don't worry; females are normally much more adept at channelling ether through their bodies, something about woman naturally being more dextrous and agile than men. You won't have to become muscular to channel your maximum. Remember, it's a strong body that matters, and that doesn't mean strength, it means durability."

"So there you go Sapphire, no worries alright?" Gohan said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Sapphire smiled and leaned her head against him. "Mmhmm, you smell nice Gohan."

Gohan blushed, "Ah… I don't…"

Gahlanthas roared with laughter. "Keep pushing Sapphire, you'll beat Karreth to him." Gahlanthas said, his eyes were sharp and perceptive. He had known after only being around the group for a couple days just how the relationships between each of them worked: Sapphire and Karreth vying for Gohan, the strange brother/sister relationship between Vegeta and Karreth, the unbreakable bond of friendship between Trunks and Gohan and many more. He had also realized, from the moment he laid eyes upon Blight just who, and what, he was.

Gohan just sat there spluttering helplessly while Sapphire blushed madly. "I don't want to push him." Sapphire said as she sat up straight. "He's my friend, I'm happy with that. If something grows from that, then I'll be happier, but I'm not going to be greedy. If he finds someone special, be it Karreth or someone else, I will cheer for him all the way. I feel that everyone has a special someone in life, someone they connect with the moment they see them. I know I connect with Gohan but… I'm unsure if it's exactly in that fashion. I don't know enough about life, or people, to really…"

Gahlanthas nodded, "Don't worry, I understand exactly. I have someone like that. The instant we met we fell in love and have been together since."

Gohan frowned, "Since…? You don't…" Gohan's eyes widened and then he laughed. "You lucky dog, bedding a goddess." Gohan fell backwards laughing uproariously.

Gahlanthas sniffed indignantly, "You don't think I live this long simply because I am a 'chosen' did you? She was lonely until she met me. I was able to fill the hole in her heart, and she filled the hole in mine. She just simply doesn't want to feel that loneliness ever again, and I'm not one to complain." Gahlanthas replied.

Gohan grinned and turned to Sapphire, "See, you just need to wait. You'll live a long life, you're still young. You have at least several hundred years to find someone so there isn't anything to worry about." He said.

Sapphire smiled down at him. "Thanks Gohan, and with great friends like you and everyone else I'm sure I'll be fine along the way."

"Ah, Gahlanthas, long time no see." A voice said.

Gahlanthas sighed and turned to the speaker. "Yes, it has been, Emerald."

"Mother?" Sapphire asked as she stood up. It wasn't much of a question but the meaning was conveyed well enough.

"I'm glad you are well my daughter." Emerald said, smiling at her.

Gahlanthas frowned, "She's your daughter?" Gahlanthas asked, none to happy at this.

Emerald smiled at him. "Of course my dear, old friend. Unlike some people there are those that can appreciate me for what I am."

"Don't start up with this. You know why I turned you down." Gahlanthas replied.

Emerald's face turned into an angry snarl. "Because that bitch stole you from me! That's why!" Emerald yelled.

Gahlanthas frowned. "No, I turned to her when I realized the only thing you cared about was the power I wielded and she didn't come into my life until long after I had ceased to consider you." Gahlanthas stated calmly.

Emerald calmed down and smirked at him. "Well, that's old news now. I have a way of killing both you and your whore of a goddess." Emerald said maliciously.

Gohan looked back and forth, scratching his head and thinking, what the fuck! This was probably the most random and out of the blue encounter he's ever had the pleasure of observing.

"Mother! What are you saying?" Sapphire demanded. The one Sapphire feared the most, was her mother. Not because of her power, but because she had complete control over her. Her mother had tried to erase the memories from her mind but her special ability had made that impossible. In the past her mother had exuded complete dominance over her, how she wasn't sure but she knew that her mother was capable of such a thing.

"Sapphire, kill Gahlanthas." Emerald ordered.

"WHAT! No!" Sapphire shouted.

Emerald's eyes glowed a brilliant green as she glared at her daughter. "You WILL obey me! Use your power, and your staff, and kill Gahlanthas. You are the only one capable of nullifying the power of his staff!"

Sapphire stiffed as her eyes glazed over. Sapphire could, indeed, absorb any external attacks. But if it was bred into her very gene's she had no defence against it. "Yes. Mother." Sapphire said monotonously as she raised her staff.

"And once I finish with you, Gahlanthas, I'll kill that bitch of a goddess using these." She said as she raised a jar containing two round balls.

"Gohan!" Another voice said, momentarily drawing everyone's attention.

"Bardock!" Gohan asked curiously as he stared at him. He frowned, Bardock's face was completely expressionless but his eyes held a depth and wisdom to them that defied even immortal comprehension, "No, not Bardock. It's you, what is it?" He asked. "We kind of have a problem here."

"Nothing compared to the one that will be here tomorrow. End this, now, using ANY means possible. You don't have time to waste with the petty concerns of these… mortals." Bardock declared as his face turned into a slight snarl.

"What's wrong… you've never been so agitated before." Gohan asked. He was extremely worried.

"There is a third party involved now, I know not their intentions, but it does not coincide with mine or my sisters and it's greatly affecting both of our plans. Your journey now has two goals, much like hers. Finish this, now. Kill them all if you must, but you and the others have to be ready for tomorrow. If you do not take care of it within one hour's time, I will see to it personally." Bardock growled, and disappeared leaving three very shocked individuals in the courtyard.

"Sorry Emerald, wasn't about to get involved, after all this doesn't have anything to really do with me but, orders are orders, you are dead." Gohan said as he turned to face Emerald.

"T-That…" She gaped out. Both Gahlanthas and Emerald were clueless to just who exactly that was, but there were two things they did know: its power surpassed even Gohan's, and it ranked above even the greatest of gods.

"Sapphire!" Emerald shouted, "UNLEASH THE STAFF!"

Sapphire raised her hand only to find it empty. A moment later she slumped to the ground. Gohan had moved faster than thought and quickly removed the staff from Sapphire's possession and knocked her unconscious. He didn't want to kill her; she was after all a friend. Sapphire was powerful, but she had nothing on Gohan. One couldn't hit what one couldn't see.

Gohan sighed as he began to walk towards Emerald. "Emerald… I thank you for the kindness you showed me earlier but kindness can only be taken so far. I don't care for your ambition and goals, this isn't my world, it's not my place and it's not my people but since it involves dominating and harming my friends… I'm afraid I can not allow this to continue. Even if 'he' hadn't said anything I still would have stepped in and stopped you. That only makes it more urgent. I'm sorry but I'll make this as quick and painless as possible." Gohan said as he captured Emerald's eyes with his steady gaze.

"NO! STAY AWAY! I WILL NOT BE STOPPED! NOT AFTER COMING SO CLOSE!" Emerald shouted as she called upon all of her protective spells.

Gohan shot forward and ripped through them like they weren't even there. He grabbed her arm and tossed her into the air; she screamed the entire way up. He lazily raised a hand and sighed. A massive wave of energy erupted from his outstretched palm and rocketed upwards where it met Emerald and kept on going. Emerald, even with most of her protective auras and spells in place, hadn't even warranted enough of an obstacle to cause the energy wave to explode. Several seconds later the energy wave detonated far out in space leaving nothing left of Emerald. Not a single molecule.

When Gohan drew his attention back to the ground he noticed Gahlanthas bending over Sapphire.

"What are you doing?" He asked, "She's just unconscious."

"I know, but no one should have that kind of spell placed within them. I'm going to remove it. I can't do it while she's conscious, her body would just absorb my spells." Gahlanthas replied.

"Alright, I need to go. I have to let the others know that we'll be having some… surprise guests tomorrow." Gohan replied.

Gahlanthas nodded but didn't say anything. He merely moved a hand over Sapphire's prone body and began to work. Gohan wasn't sure but he could have sworn that there was a second image imposed on Gahlanthas as he left.

l-l

-oo-O-oo-

l-l

An hour later…

"So there's a mysterious force coming and it's going to arrive tomorrow?" Kaitlyn asked. They were all gathered in her private study.

"Yes, pretty much." Gohan said. "We should probably prepare for it. If it can agitate him, then it's something major."

"Who is this him?" Kaitlyn asked. "I'm sorry but I really can't do anything on just your word."

"Well…"

"It's a being that ranks supreme. If he commands, even the gods will obey." Gahlanthas said as he stepped forward.

Kaitlyn blinked a couple times. "Huh? Aren't the gods absolute?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head and grinned, "Well… it's kind of complicated." Gohan replied.

"I believe them love." Blight said as he stepped up beside Kaitlyn. "Remember the dream I told you about…"

Kaitlyn opened her mouth and then closed it. She sighed and looked up. "You believe that this force is the same one your mother warned you about in your dream?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know but it would make sense." Blight said.

Kaitlyn grumbled under her breath. She gave Gohan a hard look, "And just what exactly is this force? Do you have any clue? Might be nice if we knew what we were dealing with."

Gohan glanced over at Bardock and he took that as his cue. "Hmph, from what he told me we can expect several thousand dragons and one unknown being about the same level of power as Trunks." Bardock reported.

Kaitlyn nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, several thous… and… WHAT!" She screeched. "SEVERAL THOUSAND DRAGONS?"

"Yup."

Kaitlyn's jaw dropped to the floor. "How are we supposed to defend against that! This is probably one of the greatest fortresses in the world but it wasn't built to stand up against several thousand mythical creatures that are said to be capable of levelling entire armies unaided!"

"Don't worry Kaitlyn." Gohan said as he stepped forward, a wicked grin on his face. "I'm capable of levelling solar systems myself. You've have here some of the strongest beings on this planet, each worth several armies themselves."

"I… I…" Kaitlyn became flustered. "Why are they coming?"

Blight looked guilty, "Probably to erase the last of my mother's brood: me. And I'm afraid maybe our child as well." Blight said sadly.

Kaitlyn sighed, "Well, so much for just handing them what they want. If they want you or my child… It'll be over my dead body." Kaitlyn said fiercely to her husband. "You guys leave, I need to talk to the commanders of my army. Might as well have a welcoming comity for these winged bastards."

Vegeta looked up at Karreth, "You know, she would have made a good saiyan don't you think?"

"Oh yes, I agree. Why do you think we get along so well?" Karreth said in return. "Saiyan in all aspects except blood."

"One last thing." Gahlanthas said as he stepped forward. "You may want these back Ashlay." He said as he placed the jar of eyeballs on the desk. Emerald had dropped them when Gohan had thrown her into the air.

"Th-Those are…" Blight said as he stared at the jar. He couldn't see just what exactly they were but he had a pretty good feeling just what laid within that jar.

"Yes, Emerald was going to use them to kill my goddess. A goddess is immortal, and can't be killed by normal means. However these eyes, the eyes of a dragon belonging to the most noble of draconic blood lines, are required for a spell called 'Divine Fall'. Basically it strips an Immortal of their immortality, although it's only temporary but with access to a person as strong as Sapphire, Emerald could have quite easily killed my goddess had she become mortal for even a few minutes." Gahlanthas said, revealing the true importance behind Blight eyes. "Other components could have been used, like the heart of a demon emperor or the blood of a god but they are just as hard, if not more so, to attain than these eyes."

"Ash…" Kaitlyn said softly as she gently picked up the jar. "I'll send for the clerics right away."

l-l

-oo-O-oo-

l-l

Afternoon the next day…

Kai'Honar was up and bustling early but not in the usual manner. Where citizens and foreigners would be filter from store to shop instead waves of soldiers were seen marching. Instead of shops opening up for the next day instead barriers and fortifications were hastily being raised. The alarm had been raised just as the work day ended and everyone not a part of the military had been escorted to shelters deep within the surrounding mountains. The mountains wouldn't provide complete protection but they'd offer more than any other place.

The walls were lined with archers and crossbow men. Even those who normally don't wield such weapons were holding them. Any extra arrow or bolt in the sky when the attack came was one more bolt that could possibly inflect a lucky wound on the dragons. Modified ballistae's could be seen in various places throughout the city. They'd been re-designed to fire upwards as opposed to horizontally.

"You ready Gohan?" Trunks asked as the two floated just slightly above the fifth battlement of the innermost wall. Vegeta and Karreth were positioned down out at the outer wall while Bardock was near the third.

"Almost." Gohan said as he reached behind him and ripped his tail off. It was painful, but he didn't want a repeat of planet Vegeta. He was not going to chase Karreth down for his clothes again.

"Ah, I see." Trunks said.

"Their clothing can handle the transformation. Mine cannot. Besides, as long as the base isn't scorched it will grow back within a month's time." Gohan replied.

Trunks grinned, "Won't they be surprised."

"Oh yes, it's not often one gets to see gigantic ape like creatures with god like powers." Gohan replied.

The plan was to create an artificial moon. It's not that Vegeta, Bardock and Karreth couldn't hold their own in their regular forms. It was more to draw the attention towards them so that the human casualties would be kept to a minimum. It was too much to hope for the city to come out unscathed but it gave a better chance that at least some portions of it would survive. Warnings had been sent out to the neighbouring areas, just in case the invasion couldn't be contained.

"When are they going to be here! This waiting is annoying!" Kaitlyn yelled drawing the two saiyans attention down to the battlement. Kaitlyn was standing there, fully armed and armoured in her family's armor. Beside her stood Blight wearing his usual attire, only this time the bandana was around his forehead as opposed to his eyes. After his eyes were restored he thought that he might as well keep the piece of cloth so that he may never forget the blessings of sight. Sapphire stood behind them. Gahlanthas had left, saying that it wasn't his place to fight here. The dragons were coming for a specific reason, not for planetary dominance and as such, since the planet and its races weren't at stake here, he felt it wasn't his place to step in as it would draw in his goddess as well.

"It's really sucks that Gahlanthas had to go." Gohan said.

Everyone agreed, having such a powerful mage would greatly ease the hearts of the defenders. The defenders themselves weren't quite sure what to feel. Sure, they were about to face a flight of dragons, but they had on their sides perhaps the strongest group of beings to have ever exist.

Suddenly Gohan stiffed and jerked his head upwards. He could feel them coming, and at break neck speed. They were obviously using some reality warping type of transportation to get here.

"EVERYONE GET READY! HERE THEY COME!" Gohan roared as his aura blazed into being around him.

Five shouts filled the air as Gohan and the others began to power up. Four bright flashes brightened the sky as Trunks and the other three hit the first super saiyan level. Soon Vegeta, Bardock and Karreth finished powering up but both Trunks and Gohan were still going. A second flash of light brightened the sky as Turnks hit the second level and soon he topped off but Gohan kept on going.

Blight's eyes widened in surprised as he stared at Gohan. He hadn't lost his specialized way of seeing the world, and Gohan was now shining more brightly than the sun itself. The entire world began to shake as Gohan kept screaming, his body slowly arching back as his power shot to godlike proportions and beyond. Just as reality began to warp Gohan stopped his power-up and breathed in deeply.

"Let's kick us some draconic ass." Gohan said in a dark voice. Gohan was walking a razor's edge right now. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Gohan's pure heart was the only thing saving him from the dark lure of power.

And suddenly it happened, a deafening roar as thousands of dragons uttered their battle cries. Thousands of black dots appeared in the sky above Kai'Honar, dots that quickly grew larger with arms, legs and long, sharp teeth.

"TRUNKS!" Gohan roared as he hunched down, "NOW! IT'S TIME FOR THE SAIYANS TO BE UNLEASHED!" And so started the greatest war the planet had ever seen. It didn't involve the most people, nor did it last the longest but in terms of sheer power and the amount of it thrown around, it easily surpassed all others.

A small ball of energy rose into the sky, one that expanded into a bright, artificial moon. Gohan and Trunks blasted up towards the on coming dragons just as three titanic roars shook the fortress city. The defenders trembled a little in fear as they watched Bardock and the other two transform in gigantic golden Oozaru right before their eyes. The only thing that prevented them from gibbering insanely as they fled from the walls was the fact that the saiyans were supposedly on their side.

As Gohan and Trunks neared the dragons they were finally able to get a good look at them. Their scales were of various shades of black, from a dusky black to a deep onyx and each and every one of them were huge, the smallest being longer than a hundred feet from nose to tail while some exceeded three hundred. The wingspan of each dragon was easily twice its length and every inch of the body was powerfully muscled. The teeth and talons look sharp enough to rend through the strongest alloy like it was nothing more than paper. Unfortunately for them Gohan and Trunks were both much tougher than any alloy. What's more was that each and every one of them looked completely insane, driven to accomplish a single goal, ignoring all else, including Gohan and Trunks.

"**DIE!**" Gohan roared as he shot a massive energy wave before him. It exploded upon the first dragon and exploded into a massive ball of energy that engulfed its neighbours. When the energy subsided there wasn't even ash left.

That drew their attention towards Gohan.

"**BURNING ATTACK!**" Trunks shouted as a massive stream of fire rippled over another batch of dragons. Now, fire normally doesn't affect dragons, but this wasn't regular fire. This fire easily matched the surface of the sun temperature wise, and that was something that DID affect dragons. Needless to say it rained ash when the fire cooled.

Now the dragons had turned their attention towards Trunks.

A dozen bolts of ether slammed into a dozen dragons causing them to explode into bloody chunks of flesh and bone.

Their attention was now diverted towards the city, and a certain elven woman who had unleashed the attack.

Just in time to witness three massive beams of yellow energy fired from three massive apes rip through their ranks.

Now the dragons were just pissed.

They had just arrived and already nearly a hundred of their kind had just been effortlessly killed. Their previous orders completely forgotten they began to focus on the beings that actually posed a threat to them.

Breath weapons rained down from the sky as the dragons spat death at their foes, unfortunately for them their foes were too powerful to be harmed by such attacks, unfortunately for the defenders of the city, they were not. Many portions of the city were destroyed as streams of fire, storms of lightning, cones of cold and balls of acid rained down upon the city from above.

One of the draconic creatures exploded with energy as its power shot through the roof. Gohan and Trunks braced themselves and took a break from making fried dragon steaks to watch the ball of energy whip towards them.

As it appeared they were able to see that it was much smaller than the other creatures, smaller as in a tenth the size of the smallest dragon. It was quite obvious a draconic creature but it was unlike any of the others that were currently here.

"What do you make of this Gohan?" Trunks asked.

"A dragon midget?" Gohan provided as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Ccche ccche ccche, funny humanssss." It said as it stared at the saiyans.

Gohan shrugged, "I try."

"You humanssss, you are too powerful. I ssshall dealsss with you myssself." It hissed.

Gohan yawned. "Trunks, he's yours. I have better things to do than play with a draconic midget." Gohan said as he blasted off to barbeque some more dragon steaks.

The creature was about to blast after Gohan until Trunks made it think otherwise by smashing a back hand into its face. "Hey, I'm still here shorty. You're not going anywhere, well you might, but it'll be in multiple pieces."

"I ssshall make you pay for that insssult." It hissed at him.

Trunks sighed, "You know… If I was given a dollar for every time I heard that…" Trunks shook his head. "No matter, it's dicing time!" He shouted as he whipped his sword out.

"**DRACONIC WRATH!**" The creature roared. A massive blast erupted from the mini-dragon's mouth, a blast that combined all the breath weapons of the assorted dragons.

Trunks dodged to the side letting the wave of elements roar past him as he whipped his sword down in front of him. "**SLASHING MOON BEAM!**" Trunks shouted as a wave of energy cut through the air towards the dragon.

The creature held his hand up and caught the attack before crushing it in his hands. A smirk crossed his face as it stared at Trunks.

Trunks just shrugged and disappeared. The creature's eyes widened as he whipped his head around desperately trying to locate Trunks. Then the creature realized just where he had gone, but it was too late. An elbow slammed into the back of his head rocking it forward. A scream was torn from his mouth as Trunks threw him across the sky.

"**BIG BANG!**" Trunks shouted as he held his left hand forward. A ball of blue energy shot from his hands and slammed into the creature carrying it around and in front of it's own attack before detonating. The explosion lit the entire sky.

Gohan was having the time of his life as he ripped through one dragon and into the next.

"Four hundred and five." He said happily as he ripped through the torso of a gigantic dragon and leaving behind a small gift in the form of a fatal energy blast. "Four hundred and six." He said as his next punch ripped the head off another dragon. He raised both hands and two energy beams shot off in opposite directions. Huge explosions lit the sky as more dragons were slaughtered. "Four hundred and twenty nine." Gohan said with a smile as he shot towards his next target.

The vast majority of the dragons had homed in on Bardock and the other two Oozarus. It wasn't because they were the greatest threat, but because they equal the dragons in size, and they didn't like that very much. They very much enjoyed being one of the largest creatures in the known universe and didn't like having rivals.

Of course Bardock and the others didn't mind very much. In Oozaru form their power was logarithmically increased, meaning they were currently more powerful than Gohan. Not by much, but they were. So much to the dragon's chagrin they couldn't really do much as the huge fists and massive breath weapons tore through them like they were nothing more than play-do.

Vegeta was currently laughing as he used two especially large dragons as weapons and was literally laying the smack down on the other dragons. Unlike saiyans the tails of dragons were actually quite strong and could withstand being used as nun chucks for quite some time before they were ripped off. And the benefit of using dragons was that there were plenty of replacements available.

Karreth was less ruthless. She just went in for the kill. She saw. They ran. Dragon body parts rained down upon the ground.

Bardock was the most efficient of them all. Never killing single dragons, he made use of strategy and tactics to catch multiple dragons with each attack. Rarely using his fists and instead resorting to energy blasts and waves powerful enough to reduce moons to dust.

Sapphire was killing them with equal ease. Trunks had been right in his earlier assessment of her power. Her spells weren't piercing, but they didn't need to be. She knew that elemental attacks would have little affect on draconic creatures since they seemed to be blasting them out of their mouths all over the place so she kept her attacks purely non-elemental. This seemed to work nicely as they had little defence against those types of spells. Dragon after dragon fell to her hands, and proceeded to bounce off her shield and land in the city below. She was in charge of protecting the very inner most section of the fortress city from above attacks and as a result it was completely untouched.

However, the rest of the city was another matter.

The entire first two sections of the city were completely levelled as dragons roamed, almost, freely through those portions. The walls guarding them had been smashed apart in many places and the defenders had been reduced to melee combat. It wasn't a total loss, there were numerous draconic corpses in those sections of the city, but for every dragon they killed, a hundred of human defenders were torn apart taking it down.

The next two sections faired a little better, their walls were still intact and although dragons were roaming in those sections, they always seemed to have about two dozen soldiers hanging from various parts of their bodies stabbing whatever they could through the cracks between scales. Only the inner most section had any ranged capabilities left to it. All the emplacements in the other four had been destroyed and many of the archers eaten by various dragons. Although there was the odd case where one or two people were saved when the defenders killed the dragon quickly afterwards and gutted it pulling a partially digested soldier from the depths of the dragon.

Blight turned to Kaitlyn and touched her shoulder catching her attention. "Love I'm going to transform and join Gohan and the others. If this goes on for much longer Kai'Honar may be erased from the map, despite us winning the battle." Blight said softly. "They came for me, perhaps if I appear they'll focus on me."

Kaitlyn's eyes widened and she gripped Blight tightly. "No, I don't want you to. If I lost you…" She whispered as she laid her head on his chest.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, if I don't do anything I will be haunted by it for the rest of my life. I have the chance to do something to fix this situation." Blight said.

"But…" She started.

Blight shook his head and stepped out of the embrace. "Thanks for the concern but I have to do this." He said.

"Then take me with you!" Kaitlyn said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." He said as he jumped into the air and hovered just outside her reach. "I must do this, and I don't want either you or our child endangered. Sapphire will see to it that you two will stay safe."

"You better return Ash!" Kaitlyn shouted.

Blight smiled and nodded as he soared upwards and through the shield. "YOU WANT ME! THEN COME AT ME!" Blight roared as he activated the transformation his mother had gifted him with.

Blight's shout turned into a roar as his body began to grow and elongate. Bright silver and gold scales began appearing all over Blight's body as his face elongated like his body. His hair shifted color to silver and began to grow longer as his neck grew and grew and grew. Massive wings sprouted from his back as he completed his transformation into a dragon, but his body kept growing and getting bigger. A dragon's size is defined by two things, power and age. Since a dragon naturally grows stronger as they grow older a larger dragon means an older dragon. But power also plays a big role. Size wasn't the only thing that defined age, how bright the scales were also helped to define age: The duller, the older. Blight's scales were bright, very bright. He was, after all, only twenty one years old and since dragons can live in excess of ten thousand years he was considered a whelp, a baby.

Blight, however, was no normal baby. He had been in human form his entire life, and humans gain power at an accelerated rate. They also mature far more quickly due to their, usually, short life spans. As such it was obvious to any dragon that he'd just been hatched due to the brightness of his scales. However, the body itself suggested that of an ancient dragon. As his length exceeded two hundred feet the other dragons began to get curious. When it surpassed three hundred they grew worried. When it reached five hundred they began to feel fear. Only the greatest of the elder wyrms ever exceeded five hundred feet, and their power was something that commanded respect. However, Blight's body wasn't finished growing, in fact it didn't stop until it reached six hundred and fifty feet in length. He was over double the size of the greatest dragon there.

With a roar of triumph Blight shot through the skies and began ripping through the other dragons like they were nothing. With one snap of his powerful jaws he tore apart the necks of dragons, mighty swipes of his claws tore huge rents through wings and torsos and his breath weapon, the greatest of them all and why his lineage had been supreme for many draconic generations, a bolt of pure ether ripped through even the largest dragons like they were paper.

Now when one is insane they normally don't worry about many things. However, even when one is insane there is some sort of twisted logic that rules them. And regardless of logic being twisted or not staring down a dragon of such size and heritage was simply suicidal. So it was about this time that many dragons began to have thoughts of leaving.

Insanity could only do so much after all.

Especially when there was a strange human ripping through their forces, ticking off numbers, and cackling insanely, another human beating down their leader, three gigantic apes, one using them as nun chucks, another playing soccer with their body parts while the third methodically reduced their forces to nothing, an elven female with god like magical powers, and a dragon with powers on par with the greatest of dragons to ever exist all tearing through their forces. It was about this time that many of the dragons decided that now would be a good time to initiate a 'tactical retreat.' In other words: beat it out of there as fast as their wings could carry them.

"Damnsss dragonsss!" The creature hissed as he saw his forces turn tail and run. "No goodsss for any thingsss!" He was covered in bloody rents from sword slashes and charred marks from energy blasts.

"Pity huh?" Trunks said with a yawn. "I must admit, you're good, but I think this is where you die now." As much as he didn't want to admit it the two of them were actually even. He was covered in cuts and wounds that were inflicted by the other.

"Ssssss, it'sss time you died humansss." He hissed at Trunks and attacked.

Trunks smirked and dodged to the left as he slashed the dragon creature's side open. The creature grimaced in pain but managed to smirk afterwards. "You fell for it humansss." He laughed as quickly grabbed the hand holding the sword.

Trunks cursed as he tried to back away but the creature was strong, as strong as he was. Escape was possible but he didn't feel like leaving his weapon behind. "Get the fuck off me you smelly piece of shit." Trunks cursed, his normal courteous manners gone.

"Ssssure humansss. But I thinksss I wantsss a… parting gift." He cackled and Trunks screamed in agony. There was a sickening sound as Trunks' left arm was ripped from its socket as the draconic creature used its powerful muscles and sharp talons to rip the limb from Trunks' body.

Trunks jerked away, finally free of the monster, but at a costly price.

The creature laughed at Trunks as at ate the arm before Trunks' very eyes. "You fucking bastard!" Trunks roared in anger and pain. Now he was a serious disadvantage.

Suddenly a wave of energy slammed into the draconic creature and carried it several hundred feet away before it exploded in a fiery ball of death. "Oops, missed that dragon." Gohan said as he innocently shot by Trunks and towards the creature.

Said creature prepared himself for the impact only to be surprised when Gohan shot right by him and began to chase after the retreating dragons, obviously not satisfied with his kill count. Who would be? He was at nine hundred and ninety eight, only two more to a thousand. No self respecting saiyan would stop at such a count.

Unfortunately for the dragon creature the distraction Gohan provided was fatal as it found out first hand when he turned around just in time to be on the receiving end of a very pointy stick as Trunks rammed his sword up to its hilt straight between the eyes.

"Fucking prick." Trunks snarled as he ripped his sword back out and proceeded to cut it up into hundreds of tiny pieces. "Fucking ironic that I received the very wound I caused my mentor Gohan because of my selfish pride when I was younger." He muttered as he swiped his sword through the air before sheathing it in one smooth motion. Memories of his Gohan came back to him. Had Gohan not lost the arm protecting him, he might have survived the battle against the androids. In Turnks' mind, he was the one that caused Gohan to die. "I hate karma."

Trunks conjured up a ball of energy and pressed it to his wounded arm, cauterizing the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Well, there goes the last of the dragons." Gohan said soberly as he floated down beside Trunks. He eyed Trunks missing arm. "Sorry, had I noticed even a few seconds earlier…"

Trunks shook his head quickly. "Don't worry about it. It was my own negligence that cost me my arm. Next time I won't make the same mistake. I at I least have you to thank that at least there will be a next time." He replied, waving his hand before his face. Trunks looked down at his wound and sighed, "In an odd way, I kind of deserved it." He replied as he dropped out of super saiyan and back down to his normal form.

"What are you talking about?" Gohan asked, he couldn't figure out why anyone would deserve to be disarmed in such a manner.

"It's nothing Gohan, nothing." Trunks said as he looked at the ball of energy in the sky and blasted it apart. It was quite remarkable that the dragons hadn't attack it, but then, they didn't know what it was actually doing and since it hadn't been directly hurting them they had left it alone. "Let's return, it's over now."

Gohan stared silently at his friend as they descended to the battlements where the others were gathering. Gohan said nothing but he knew Trunks was hurting from more than just physical pain. Obviously the wound had some sort of significant meaning to him.

"Trunks! What happened to your arm?" Karreth said in shock as she stared at his ruined body.

"Oh you know, it just kind of fell of…" Trunks said slowly. "What the FUCK do you think happened?" He snapped as he dropped to the ground far below and strode into the palace.

"What crawled up his butt and died?" Vegeta asked.

"Leave him alone guys." Gohan said as he stopped on the battlements beside them. "He's dealing with more than just physical pain. He needs some space." Gohan frowned as he looked around at everyone. "Where's Sapphire?" He inquired.

Kaitlyn pointed to the palace. "She went inside about a minute ago. She looked like she was crying." Kaitlyn said, "I have no idea why…"

Gohan sighed. "I know why, guys, I'll be back later." He said as he dropped to the ground and left to find Sapphire.

"Well… we won." Karreth said.

Kaitlyn looked out over the city and sighed. "Did we? They may have retreated but, there isn't very much left of the city."

Karreth sniffed. "Who cares, the buildings can be replaced. What matters is that, sure many people died, but at least there's a place for everyone else to come back to." She said.

Kaitlyn grinned at Karreth, "Yes, you're right. Plus, we kicked some pretty good dragon ass didn't we?" She said with a laugh.

Karreth grinned back, "Damn straight. Taught those winged freaks whose boss." She glanced over at Blight, "Heh, sorry."

Blight shrugged and smiled, "I don't mind, I tore a few of them apart myself. I'm just curious as to how everyone else will view me now that they know what I am." Blight said softly.

"Judging by the looks you're receiving from the soldiers…" Bardock said as he looked around. Noticing the looks of adoration, respect, and admiration from most, if not all, of the soldiers still living. "I'd say pretty damn well."

"I don't care what they think, I'm just glad you came back alright." She said as she hugged Blight tightly. "I wasn't looking forward to raising our child alone." She kissed Blight passionately.

Vegeta gagged, "I'm going elsewhere. I can't stand it when people make out in public." He grumbled as he walked away.

Karreth grinned in spite of herself. Vegeta may think that now, but once he found that someone special like she had, he would have second thoughts.

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-OO-o-OO-

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Gohan pressed his ear against the door. Faintly he heard the sounds of sobbing coming from the room beyond. He sighed as he rubbed a hand through his hair. Everyone took their first kill harshly. And she hadn't simply killed one creature she had killed a couple hundred. That was a bitch much to take in all at once. It was nothing like the tournament. There one knew that death was only temporary, in fact it wasn't really death, just a way of determining if someone won or lost.

Gohan slowly opened the door and entered the room, there on her bed, laid Sapphire with her head buried into her pillow.

He closed the door behind him as he softly made his way across the room. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed. Sapphire turned her head, "G-Gohan." She sobbed as she latched onto the front of his shirt and began to sob into his chest.

Gohan gently wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her back. "It's alright Sapphire." He said softly into her ears.

"I-I…" She couldn't go on.

"I know, we all know." He said. "We have all been there." Gohan kissed the top of her head, "It always hurts the first time, but the pain eases at time goes by and… unfortunately, as you do it more often."

"More!" She cried, she didn't want to think about killing anyone anymore.

Gohan sighed and hugged her tightly. "Yes, think of it this way. The pain just means you feel. If you can feel sorrow over the deaths of your enemies, it is a good thing. It means you didn't take their lives lightly." Gohan said as he gently pushed her back a little but still held on to her. "It was either them, or everyone else. Did you want to see Kaitlyn and Blight die? Or Vegeta and Bardock? Even Trunks and I would have been hard pressed to survive had you not done your bit. I know I was growing tired by the end there."

"N-No." She said through her sobs, "I-I d-don't ever want t-to see you g-get hurt." She said as she buried her face into his chest once more.

"Then it's alright." Gohan said as he started to rub her back and stroke her hair. "You weren't killing for the pleasure of it. You were killing to defend those you care about, to defend your world. To protect the thousands of innocent civilians that are hiding within the mountains." Gohan said softly. Sapphire's sobs had eased off somewhat. "You weren't fighting for the fun of it, nor were you fighting to hurt others. You were fighting for your life, the lives of others, and their ideals. You were fighting to protect. And regardless of what you had to do, that in and of itself is a noble deed." Gohan said.

"S-So you don't t-think any less of me? T-that I-I'm not a murderer?" She asked, her eyes were large and vulnerable.

Gohan chuckled and hugged her tightly. "Of course not, how can I think any less of you for doing something I myself have done countless times? You did what you had to protect those you care about. That is all that matters to me. It's not the how, it's they why, the intention behind one's actions that matter to me. And when I look upon what you did. I see nothing but a lonely elven woman doing her best to hold on to and protect that which she cares about." He said with a smile.

Tears filled her eyes again, but this time they were of a different sort. With a cry she pressed herself into Gohan as tightly as possible. "I was so worried that…"

"Hush now, it's over." Gohan said gently while still holding on to her. "Let's just put it behind us for now."

Sapphire nodded and held onto Gohan until she fell asleep. It had been a long and tiring day for her. Gohan removed her dress and blushed when he noticed she was wearing nothing aside from a pair of panties. He quickly drew the covers back and laid her down before covering her again and tucked her in. He was blushing when he left the room hoping she wouldn't be angry at him the next morning. It was just that it looked extremely uncomfortable sleeping in a dress such as that.

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-oo-O-oo-

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Later that night…

Everyone, minus Sapphire, was gathered back in Kaitlyn's study talking about the days events and plans for the future.

"How's Sapphire?" Kaitlyn asked Gohan as he entered the room.

"She's sleeping now." Gohan said as he fought to keep the blush down. "This was the first time she'd ever killed anyone. And it wasn't just a single being, it was hundreds. It hit her pretty hard."

Karreth lowered her eyes. She had had made some rather unflattering comments about Sapphire's capabilities to her little brother and Bardock. She hadn't realized just what the problem was. She remembered her first time as well, everyone did. No one ever went through that experienced unscarred.

"So what now?" Trunks asked as he sipped on a drink with his one arm. The mages weren't able to restore the arm. It wasn't from lack of ability or will. There just seemed to be something blocking their attempts, almost as if the arm doesn't want to be restored.

"I'm not sure. We need advice." Gohan said as he eyed Bardock.

Bardock's eyes glazed over, "You know what you need. You've already fought those you need to fight, you merely need to finish them off, and there is one among you that knows how to get to them. You can't expect me to do everything for you Gohan. You and Trunks are both genius', it's time you two started using your minds." Bardock said monotonously.

"Those dragons then…" Gohan said as he stared at Bardock but he merely shrugged, the presence was gone. "Hmm… So that's the race we need to destroy this time." Gohan said thoughtfully.

"Destroy?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Genocide." Trunks replied with a shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time we've done something like this."

"WHAT!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"I can take you there." Blight said.

Kaitlyn's jaw dropped. "What's going on here!" Kaitlyn demanded.

Gohan sighed, "It's complicated, and it doesn't really involve you, not anymore at least. Once Blight gets us to where we need to be, the likeliness of us seeing each other will be practically zero." Gohan said.

"But if it involves my husband…" She started but stopped as Blight shook his head.

"I'll take them there, but I'm not going to help them. I'm staying here. My place is with you. I was raised here, I grew up here, this place is my home, and I have a wife and child to think about now." He said as he stared deeply into Kaitlyn's eyes.

"So what am I supposed to tell everyone?" Kaitlyn demanded.

Gohan grinned, "Whatever you want. No one knows the reason they're here. Make one up, place yourselves in the best light possible." Gohan said. "I'm thinking something along the lines of 'The dragons came here to conquer our lands and to herd us like sheep to their breeding pens.'"

Kaitlyn pondered that for a moment, "You know, that may very well just work."

"When do you think you can take us there?" Gohan asked.

"Early tomorrow morning would be the earliest. I'll need to borrow Sapphire as well. I know the location, but I don't have the power or abilities to open the gate.

Gohan nodded. "Alright, well I'm not sure about the rest of you." Gohan said as he let out a huge yawn. "But I'm beat, I'm heading to bed. I'll see you all in the morning." He stood and quietly left the room.

To be continued…

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A/N: So, how was the chapter? Comment on the good parts, remark about the bad. I know the emerald part was rushed, but it needed to be if I wanted to finish it. Not sure when the next chapter will be out, school... shakes his head I'm spending 10+ hours a day on school work. Hard to find time to write when I'm in that kind of situation.

A/N: I kind of ended the whole Emerald and the eyes thing rather fast, but that's the whole point. It's a minor subplot, merely there to add more depth and realism to my story. There's never just 1 conflict going on yet that's the way most stories have it. In actuality there are many conflicts going on between many different people and they cross over each others paths quite often, although generally not in all that meaningful ways. The subplots and side characters are just there to help move the main plot along and to help develop the main characters, although I try to add some depth and believability to the side characters as well so they evolve from mere tools to actual characters in a story. Believe it or not Kaitlyn and Blight are just secondary characters, and people like Gahlanthas and Emerald are tertiary. The further a character gets from the main characters the less detail I put into them. But that's typical with most stories. Expect more sub plots like the Emerald one in the future, but also expect them to either not end, or end more gracefully. And what I mean by not end is that it doesn't TRULY involve Gohan and the others, it just touches on their lives for a bit before it moves on to completion in later years or whatever.

A/N: The fight was rather short… but… the big fight will take place on the next planet. And I did say I was going to start speeding things up.


	19. Chapter 18: Complications

A/N: There's gonna be a lot of jumping around in this chapter. Just a word of warning for those that like long segments.

A/N: And damnit… I made another mistake in chapter 16. I have Blight calling his mother gargantuan and she's only 200 feet long. sigh. Ignore that alright? Think gargantuan, ignore the 200 feet long part. Or if you want think of it as meters. That'll put her at about 600 feet, and since females are USUALLY smaller than males, it'll seem a bit better.

A/N: Sorry, this wasn't proofread, figured you'd want it sooner as I made you wait awhile. Please bear with any grammar mistakes.

A/N: ... ... I HATE THIS FUCKING WEBSITE! I hate them and their damn editing system! unleash our imagination and free our souls eh? What bullshit. It's 'their way' or 'no way'. Fucking pricks. Hate them... ARGH! This may very well be my last story because this site is continually making it harder and harder to format your stories the way YOU want them. They want it all THEIR way, even though THEIR way is probably the WORST way you can possibly fucking do it. That line break they have is COMPLETELY USELESS! It's SO ugly and unweildly I'd rather choke and die on my own vomit than use it but they won't allow for anything else! Once again my custom scene break has been fubared again thanks to this 'oh so wonderful' site.

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Response to Reviews:

Limar – About the triangle thing, just wait and see, if I was reading this story that'd be half the fun for me. Seeing just who exactly Gohan will end up with. Although by now I'd have set my eyes on one and hoped he'd get with her. And I didn't say they had to destroy the entire dragon race. That race was being manipulated by the third party; it may not even be the race they have to destroy. It COULD be, but it may not. You just have to see. And let me just add this tidbit. It's quite possible for the 'race' they have to destroy to consist of just 1 creature. 1 unique creature that is in a class of its own. And remember, there's Blight, who the big guy in charge doesn't really care all that much about. Anyways about Sapphire and her mother… Not sure, that's just something I never really delved into I suppose. I guess she would be. Emerald WAS her mother after all, yet she was the person Sapphire feared the most. I'll delve into it a little this chapter I suppose. Gohan only got a sneak peek because I'm a pervert like 99 of the other guys on this planet. Muscle bound, yes, you know those pictures of female body builders? Ya, that's about the muscle density that Karreth has. Although probably a bit less because those girls dehydrate themselves to help the muscles stand out.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan – The thing is with power levels, I agree, and yet I don't. With Goku starting at 300,000 and then hitting 15,000,000 with super saiyan, that's a MAJOR boost, BUT… His base afterwards was forever boosted upwards. When he powered down to normal he didn't hit 300,000. He was in the millions. The initial transformation gives a MASSIVE boost to your base, but afterwards your base is much higher. The same is with Gohan and the others. The boost to super saiyan gave them a massive base so that sub sequential power ups wouldn't be 50x but more like 3x or something around those lines. In my first story, The Saiyan War, I took a calculator, and accurate power levels, and calculated just how much each boost gave a saiyan and I've been using those ratios ever since. But regardless, Gohan in mystic is about, oh I forget exactly, but around 6 hundred million. Even with a 3x boost that's 1.8 billion. That's fucking huge; he doesn't need any more than that. If he goes super, that may be the only level he reaches, because that may be the only level he needs.

Jolly Rancher – I had Trunks get his arm chewed off too make it realistic. I'm tired of heroes coming out of each fight unscathed, or beaten in such a way that they can make a 100 recovery within a stupidly small amount of time. And because I thought it'd be neat to have in. And yes, logarithmically increase means by powers of 10. Much like pH, dB, and the Richter scale. A saiyan's power is increased 10 times in Oozaru form.

Dany le fou – Yes, I can see why you'd be worried. I can tell you that there are only 4 more OC's that will join the party. One you'll see on this world here, 2 in the third, and 1 more in the fourth. I may have a hard time fleshing that one out, may end up being another Alihvan but I'll try my best to flesh that character out as much as possible. Any other OC's will be bad guys, or not have any real importance to the story (like Gahlanthas and Emerald.) As for Trunks' arm, correct. I may or may not do that suggestion, if I do, it won't be until late first universe, and that's a maybe. I might just end the story with him only having 1 arm. And a warning… this story is probably going to end up the most depressing of ALL my stories, despite my earlier attempts to make it light hearted.

Krypto – Don't worry about Sapphire, but by the end of the second universe she'll be a mass murdering maniac. Hehe, j/k. Just wait and read. Krypto, as for transformations. Nothing beyond what has already been seen. Hmm... well… maybe one transformation. I had a bunch in the fourth universe yet none in the third… hmm… I might have 1 person go further. And those dragons, by far, are NOT the most powerful race in the universe. You'll see. This next planet houses 6 races, 2 of which are STRONGER than the dragons. 1 Titan can take down a score of dragons with ease, and 1 Thrask can take down a score of titans with ease. The Thrask is easily more powerful than Trunks so you'll just have to wait and see. Also remember its all relative. As in 1 young adult titan can take on a score of young adult dragons. An elder wyrm could probably smack down several titans. Dragons live far longer than titans and CAN grow stronger, but not many dragons live to such an age and overall… well you get the picture.

Granite54 – well… thanks. That's quite the praise you've given me. I still have a ways to go I believe, still not at the level of people like David Eddings, R.A. Salvatore or Robert Jordan.

GothicGohan – I would… if I still read DBZ fan fictions. I kinda got bored of them, among other reasons. I still write them, because it's easy to do and can still be exciting, but reading… shakes his head. Nothing against your story, it's just DBZ stories in general.

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**Chapter 18: Complications**

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She quaked in fear as she kneeled there, not daring to raise her head. She had known the moment her subordinate had been killed, and so had he. She had been summoned only hours later and now she was kneeling there in front of her master; a being too powerful for her to even touch. The room was brightly lit and decorated extravagantly. The floor was tiled with plates of gold while the columns were sheathed in platinum. The walls were constructed from huge slabs of adamantine, sheathed with a thick layer of gold and covered with paints and wall hangings that were worth a king's ransom. It was a room fit for a meeting of emperors.

And it by no means meant its owner was a foolish pompous fop who loved money. No, the owner was a powerful, calculating tactician and the room was the way it was because it had in fact at one time been the meeting place of emperors. He appropriated the room from them and now they all served him, much like she did.

"That foolish subordinate of yours, Raxchillious was it, got himself killed by one of their chosen." He rumbled. His voice had a deep baritone quality to it.

"Yes master. I'm sorry for failing you." She apologized. She hated swallowing her pride, but not doing so while kneeling before him meant a long and painful death.

The man chuckled, "Failed in killing them, yes, but you did succeed in other fashions. And it was not a complete loss; the one known as 'Trunks' is permanently handicapped now. He no longer remains a true threat." He said as he crouched before her.

"I shall do better next time." She replied.

"Perhaps, but you have done more than anyone else has. The others' subordinates did not even reach our quarries let alone wound them." He said as he tipped her head up to stare into her eyes. "Come, stand Sari." He pulled her up to her feet, "Forget them for now. They will be in this universe soon. Then you will have the chance to meet them, but it will be on our terms instead of their own. They will not find an army or nation willing to fight for them here."

"I will kill them all when they arrive here, master." She said fervently. "I won't use just one of my subordinates, I'll bring them all, and I shall go myself to see that the no longer remain a threat."

He smiled, "Yes, I know you will, which is why I am not worried. I have faith that you will pull through. After all, if you managed to strike that much damage with your weakest subordinate. I can very well imagine what you and your remaining five vassals can do." He said with a soft voice as he smiled at her. "Now come, for tonight you will call me by name 'empress'." He said as he led her towards his bedroom.

"Yes Tachiyon." She said as she let herself be escorted away. She knew what was going to happen but after what she was afraid would occur… this was, by far, more pleasant.

"See, that was not too hard now was it?" Tachiyon replied as he smiled. Sari was more than just one of his subordinates. She used to be one of the twelve emperors and empresses that met in this place and by far she was the most beautiful of them all. He had taken an instant fancy to her. It didn't mean he was going to give her any special treatment but it gave her additional value to him. After all, men have urges, and why go out and find an unwilling female when he had a beautiful, and willing, one right here where he could access her at all times. Although to make her willing, he had had to break her first, and that had been both a long, and enjoyable, process. She had lasted longer than any of the others.

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The next day…

A passing dragon paused momentarily in its flight through the sky as a mysterious portal sprung up out of thin air several miles below. Now magical portals springing up were nothing really special, but there wasn't anything here. No city, no mountain ranges, no water, just long flat grasslands that stretched from horizon to horizon. What was also curious was the amount of magical energy pulsating through the gate. Judging from the high level of magical energy the portal was connected to a distant location, a very distant location, as in across the galaxy type of distance.

This dragon was old, wise, and powerful. Its dark blue scales had dulled much with the passage of time, but it was just another indicator of its awe and majesty. He was currently on his way to a meeting of the ancient wyrms when he noticed the portal spring up. His enormous wings kept its eight hundred foot long body suspended in air as it observed the anomaly. Gates didn't just spring up for no reason and he wished to discern the reason for such a portal appearing here.

He didn't have to wait long as soon small figures began to exit the portal. There weren't very many of them, so it wasn't an invading army, but perhaps an invading army would have been more preferable. Only six individuals appeared through the portal before it collapsed but each one was worth an army in and of themselves. Three of them were easily equal to that of an average dragon, while another 2 could challenge all but the greatest creatures on this planet and win, but it was the last that worried the dragon the most. His power was truly terrifying, and what was worse, it was corrupting him in a manner the old dragon had never seen before. Currently the only thing between him and the darkness was his pure heart, a heart that had been fashioned and tempered into something harder than diamond by a loving, if strict, mother and a father that always put himself on the line for him. But if something wasn't done, that being could end up becoming the greatest threat to exist since the time of the Great Devourers.

The dragon frowned and sped off towards the meeting place. He knew who they were now. They were the ones that this meeting was supposedly going to deal with. After both the betrayal, and defeat, of the shadow dragons they were all on edge. The remnants of the shadow dragons had returned only an hour prior, having raced here as fast as possible through the Hakanar, fleeing what they had called 'monsters'. It was true that those beings had killed many dragons, but they had only acted in self defence. Now that they were here however… the old dragon ceased his musings and flew faster. Their intentions will be discovered first before anything is to be done about them. No point in making such powerful enemies if one didn't need to.

"Where the hell are we?" Demanded Vegeta as he stared at the vast and empty grasslands. They had to wait an entire week for Sapphire to calm down enough to be able to cast magic properly. The death of her last family member, and the shock of actually having killed a creature, had all tumbled down on her at once leaving her relatively incapacitated for the larger portion of a week.

"I'd say in the middle of no where." Karreth said in amusement.

"GAH!" Vegeta yelled. He knew that already and that wasn't what he meant. She knew that, and he knew she knew that and it only served to upset him even more.

"We're on the right planet, calm down." Gohan said as his gaze followed the dragon until it was out of sight. "At least, if that huge dragon was any indication."

"What dragon?"

"If you'd pay attention to your surroundings you'd have noticed it watching us when we first arrived. Now let's find the nearest city." Gohan said. "We could always follow the dragon but after our last encounter I doubt they'd be very…welcoming."

"Who cares! Let's just go kill them all and move on." Vegeta said.

Gohan sighed, "We don't even know if they are the ones we're supposed to kill." He replied.

"Gohan!" Trunks called, "Over there, south from us." He pointed south, or at least they assumed it was south judging by the sun's position.

The group flew in silence as they traveled swiftly southwards. The landscape didn't change very much as they went. The grasslands slowly changed to plains as they moved further south and before long a city appeared on the horizon, a city that grew larger at a rather, alarming pace. Gohan frowned as he stared at the city. There was something definitely odd about it. For one the buildings seemed much too tall, for another the energy levels of the creatures living within the city were far higher, on average, than the dragons they'd just fought.

"Everyone, stop!" Gohan said abruptly as he halted in his tracks.

"What's up Gohan?" Trunks asked.

Gohan didn't respond and instead turned to Sapphire. "Could you use your magic and check that city over there? Something is odd about it and I'd rather know ahead of time."

"Sure Gohan." She said with a smile. Her eyes glazed over as she stared intently south. It wasn't long, not even a minute, before she snapped back. "Umm…" She started. "They're a little bigger than us." She said.

Gohan frowned, "How much bigger?"

"About four times our height and size." She replied with a small laugh.

Five sweat drops rolled down the back of five saiyan heads. "WHAT!" Vegeta and Karreth shouted in unison.

"That's hardly 'a little bigger' Sapphire." Gohan said with a light smile on his face. "I guess they're giants. Don't suppose if you know if they are friendly or not."

Sapphire shook her head. "Sorry Gohan. They look civilized, they treat each other with respect from what I saw, but I have no idea how they would treat us."

"Ah, it's alright. Only one way to find out I guess." Gohan said with a smile and took off towards the city.

As it turned out that while they were quite civil towards one another, they were anything but with Gohan and his comrades. They'd barely gotten within a hundred meters of the city before all kinds of spells were slung their way. Luckily Sapphire and Gohan were in front so the vast majority of them were deflected away from the group, or absorbed by Sapphire.

Gohan had told everyone to retreat and Karreth had to bodily drag Vegeta away as he was about to burst into super saiyan mode and throw himself at the enemy. Attacking a city of a half million creatures easily thirty times stronger than a dragon was suicide.

"Well, that'd didn't work so well." Gohan mused wryly when the group was several miles away from the city.

"You think?" Vegeta grumped. His hair was singed and he was upset at not having the chance to do at least that in return.

"Hush Vegeta." Karreth said as she bonked her little brother over the head eliciting a glare from him. "What do we do now Gohan?" She asked.

"Well, we look for a different source of life energy and hope it's not a bunch of territorial bastards." Gohan replied with a shrug.

"Already have a new gathering of life forces located Gohan." Trunks said, this time he was pointing eastwards.

Gohan smiled, "Thanks, glad I can count on you. Now let's go see if these people are any more welcoming then the last bunch."

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OO-o-OO

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There were six of them, all different colors. There was a dragon representing each of the different branches of dragon kind. They were gathered in a huge cavern, one easily large enough to house a large city. They were the oldest of their kind, the largest, the most powerful, and the greatest of their kind. They were the ancient wyrms. They were all lying upon beds of precious stones, the color of the stone matching that of their scales: Sapphires for blue, rubies for red, black agates for black, diamonds for white, and emeralds for green. There was one exception; the oldest of them all was resting upon a bed of silver and gold.

"So what should we do with them?" A deep, ancient voice asked. This came from the black dragon. He was referring to the shadow dragons.

Shadow dragons weren't a true dragon species. A shadow dragon isn't called that because they're like shadows or because they have dark scales, but because they are just that, a shadow of what a dragon is supposed to be. They were a mutation, an adaptation, created to stave of the devourers of the past great wars and due to their key roles in defeating them they were allowed to live and exist as the seventh branch of dragon kind.

However, despite what they had done in the past, it did not give them right to try to take complete control over all dragons.

"They should be exterminated." The ancient red dragon snarled. Reds were notoriously short tempered. However both the green and white dragons agreed with him.

"Don't you think that is a bit excessive?" The ancient metallic dragon said as she rose from her bed of silver and gold. "From what I have been able to gather they were being manipulated by an outside force."

"But perhaps necessary." The blue said softly as he looked at the most ancient. "Their madness doesn't seem to be abating with the death of said force. It may be that we will have to put them down, not for our sake, but for their own."

She sighed, "Yes, but it may simply take a little time for them to regain their senses. I think we should give them that time."

The red snarled at her. "Time? I think they've had more than enough time. Are you suggesting the destruction of our eggs is to go unpunished?" He growled aloud. "They killed all of your children! How can you just calmly say 'give them time'?"

The metallic dragon looked down with deep sadness in her eyes.

"Tyranixious!" The blue dragon snapped.

The other had the gracious to look guilty. "I'm sorry Liantrianious." Tyranixious apologized. "You know my temper; it gets the best of me at times, even at this age." This caused my eyeridges to rise in surprise. Hearing this from Tyranixious was akin to anyone else grovelling on the ground and begging for forgiveness.

They had all suffered losses when the shadow dragons had turned on them but nothing compared to Liantrianious. Her brood had been the first to be targeted, the one to be decimated the most. Very few of her kind existed anymore, and none of them were male. Unlike most races where it could go equally either way or it's a combination, the offsprings were wholly that of the father, in appearance at least. It was very likely that her branch of the dragon race may soon become extinct.

"It's alright Aarntyrious. He has a right to be upset; they did kill his current mate and children." She said.

The system that the dragons used is far different than many higher order creatures. The females had complete control over whom, when, and where any and all sexual encounters. That wasn't to say that they could force male dragons into doing what they wanted, only that if a male wished to couple with a female that female has to approach them. There was no marriage, no commitment. No attachments save between parent and child, but then, all parents looked after all children. Female dragons choose their partners based on two factors, how much they currently cared about said male, and how compatible that male was with them. Since what was compatible constantly changed as the females grew older keeping firm attachments to any one male would mean no more children and that wasn't acceptable, not with the high infant mortality rate. The only thing that was frowned upon was coupling between a mother/father and a child that was directly related.

"But…"

"And it's not like they managed to kill 'all' of my children." She said with a slight smile. "My youngest son of my last batch of hatchlings still lives."

The ancient blue wyrm's eyes opened wide, as did the others. "Then you mean that…"

She shook her head. "Not him, but perhaps his children. He has already found a mate."

"He's so young, how is it possible?" The white dragon asked. Of the six here, only she and Liantrianious were female. "He would be much too young."

The other smiled. "I guess growing up as a human has caused him to mature at the same rate. Regardless of how, he is capable of mating and already has. He should be expecting some children within a little more than half a year." She replied.

"This still doesn't solve the problem at hand though. The shadow dragons need to be dealt with somehow." The green growled.

Liantrianious nodded in agreement. "Yes, I agree. Something must be done, but complete extermination is not the answer. I've noticed that all those under a certain age appear to be, unaffected. It is likely that only the older ones, those that would be useful in battle, were influenced."

"So you suggest that we simply target those that are completely mad?" Darkorananious inquired. The ancient black wyrm closed its eyes for a moment before reopening them. "And the strongest first."

"I could live with that." Tyranixious said as he grinned wickedly. "Just say the word and I'll start ripping into them."

Liantrianious stared at the ancient red dragon. "Yes, but only those insane, and start with the strongest first. Isolate those that just returned as well. They seem to be far saner than those that stayed behind and if the entire branch as a whole begins to see reason I want the slaughter to stop immediately. We are only culling those that are dangerous to all." She said.

Tyranixious grinned and left the cavern. He had been given the okay; there were a whole lot of dragons to slaughter. They had lost before because they had been taken by surprise and the ancient wyrms were, as a rule, not allowed to interfere with draconic quarrels unless all of the ancients gave it the okay. But now that he was allowed to take action, and with the major defeat the shadow dragons had suffered wherever they had gone, it was going to be a whole different story. The only difficulty he could foresee would be taking down Zarytinous: The ancient shadow dragon.

Soon it was just Liantrianious and Aarntyrious still residing within the cavern. The youngest were always the first to leave while the oldest stayed till the last. It was an unspoken tradition, just a way things had been done since the dawn of their race.

"What is I Aarntyrious?" She asked quietly. The ancient blue wyrm was the oldest next to her but he wasn't making any attempt to leave.

"I… witness something that is potentially worrying earlier today." He said. Liantrianious raised an eyeridge at him but didn't speak, waiting for the other to continue. "A gate appeared in the middle of the Titan territory, normally I wouldn't find this peculiar, but it was near the very center of their territory, not near any kind of city. It was too small for young titans wishing to get away from their parents prying eyes. What worried me the most however, was the sheer magnitude of magical energy that was coursing through the gate. That is what caught my attention. It felt as if it was coming from some distant place, so I stayed and watched a little longer and out came six strange creatures. One looked much like the Arkons but the others were just strange, four had tails and another pointed ears. They are not from this world I know that much."

The blue paused. "There must be more than that." Liantrianious said softly as she left her bed gold and silver and walked gracefully to the others side. "Such creatures are generally beneath our notice."

"Yes, usually they are. I would not have brought this to you attention, had not one of the creatures exhibited powers that could rival the Great Devourers, and a deep darkness that was slowly eating him up from the inside." Aarntyrious finished, finally giving words to his worries.

"My son told me about some friends that were 'terrifyingly powerful'." She said with a smile. "It appears as if those friends of his may have just arrived."

"Do you think they'll cause us any problems?" Aarntyrious inquired.

She smiled and nuzzled his neck. "Only if we strike first. If they are people my son could become friends with, then they'll most likely only act out of self-defence."

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oo-O-oo

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A couple days later and far away…

Sai awoke with a start to find a shadow standing over her, with a hand roughly squeezing her breast. With a snarl Sai smashed a fist into the assailants face and rocked him backwards. A kick to the stomach sent said person across the room to slam into the far wall where he slid to the ground.

Sai slowly slid from her bed and rose to her feet as she glared down at her molester.

"Hah, feisty are we?" The unknown man said as he rose as well. "I like that about you Sai."

"Well I don't like you." She hissed back. "I told you to stay away from me. I. Despise. You. And now you dare touch me." Sai's face looked frighteningly demonic as she began to advance on the stranger.

"Ha, like you meant it. I know you want a real man to take you for a ride." He said with a hoarse laugh.

"Yes, you are right, a 'real' man. However there are NONE that fit that description here." Sai said as she stopped a foot away from the man. "Just a bunch of perverted fucks that think woman are nothing more than their 'play things'.

"Hmph, that's all you woman are really. Just a hole to plug into whenever we wish it."

"And you… are nothing more than another name to add to my long list of victims." Sai said as she brandished her kodachi, seemingly from thin air.

The man barely had time to scream before Sai began cutting him up. No one came to help; no one came to watch even. Such occurrences were frequent in the underground complex. Everyone knew it was coming anyways. A few were even surprised that Sai had put up with the man for so long. What the man had said earlier about woman was accurate for the typical female. But Sai was hardly a 'typical' female.

When she finished she wiped the blade of her kodachi clean and exited her room. She pointed to one of the men in the hallway.

"You, clean up the mess." She demanded as she left.

The man grinned and entered her room. He would dine well tonight. It wasn't often he was able to eat fresh meat. And what was so great about this, said meat was already cut up into bite size pieces. He could just sit back and enjoy the delicious delicacies of the flesh.

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oo-O-oo

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A couple hours later…

Sai and a few others shot through the city, completely unnoticed and undetected. The best had been assembled for this task; a task that would take their all to accomplish. It had to be fast, it had to be powerful, and they only had one chance. The request had come from a very powerful individual, and very wealthy. The funds were coming straight from the combined treasury of the high conclave which consisted of the twelve most powerful empresses and emperors. The task they had to accomplish was an X rank mission, one of the highest ratings that could be possibly given. The only higher ones, Y and Z, all dealt with the Overlords, and were never done with anything short of several groups of several score of the best in all fields. No one tangoed with the Overlords alone, not unless they had a death wish.

There were five of them in total. Unlike classic assassins they weren't all draped in black but they didn't need to be; they were just that good. Sai herself had donned her black and white cloak. The cloak had several special abilities built into it. It had the ability to cloak its owner completely as well as add extra protection against attacks of all kinds. In addition there were various pockets in the inside, nice for storing little tools that were sometimes required on missions.

The play they had created was quick and simple, but those were sometimes the best. They were easily carried out, effective and always got straight to the point. If they wasted too much time they were all dead. This had to be over in an instant.

A hand signal from the leader brought Sai to a halt in the shadows of one of the buildings. She was half a mile up, standing upright on the side of the building. The others had also all stopped. This would be the place. It was very difficult to ambush someone here, due to the lack of hiding spots, which was exactly why it was the best for them. They were the best; they didn't need hiding spots; they made their own on the fly. It also gave them the added benefit that the guards would be relaxed the most in this area. It was, after all, the very center of the high security business sector of the capital. Any wrong move here was swiftly punished by local security bots or guards. She had no worries about being seen, her cloak would keep her from sight.

Sai smiled. This mission was actually a bit exciting. It had been a long time since she'd been assigned such a mission. Mission levels U – Z always required more than one person, and never anyone but the best. Her being here was a testament to her achievements. She was one of the few women to ever be assigned such missions.

She would be the first to strike, an honour, and a test to see if she was as capable as she appeared. She was to cut the car holding their target in two the moment it passed the center of their group and the leave the area. This was to expose their target to the third part of the plan. There were only five parts to the plan, each one crucial, and had to be executed perfectly. The vehicle their target was in was armoured and the only weapon at their disposal that had a chance of cutting through it was her kodachi, hence her crucial role in the plan.

The second part would be initiated by Joanne. He was to follow Sai right behind her and created a massive shockwave the moment they reached the vehicle. This was to push away the guards and bots that would most certainly be guarding their target. It wouldn't do to destroy the vehicle only to have an annoying bot snatch him up and take him to safety.

The third part would be executed by the leader, Tachiyon. He was going to be the one to actually strike the blow against their target. He was going to lob and detonate a small plasma grenade into the interior of the vehicle. It's not particularly hard to throw a grenade, even accurately, but to get the timing down was the hard part. He had the task because he couldn't wait for Sai to finish cutting before throwing. It all had to be over in an instant. He had to predict just where Joanne and Sai would end up, where and how the car will be split, calculate how, where and the speed of its movement and time it just right. He only had a quarter second window to get the grenade inside. If the vehicle splits to far apart the explosion wouldn't be contained well enough to actually kill their target. Their target had more protection than just the armoured vehicle. In addition to all this he had to worry about the shockwave Joanne was going to emit. The throw would have to be powerful enough, but not too powerful, to make it through the shockwave and into the vehicle. There were so many variables that he had to take care of, but he was a master at these kinds of tasks which was why when he had chosen himself to be the leader and gave voice to the plan that few objected.

The fourth part of the plan involved dealing with the security. It was certain that the moment they killed their target the security would turn on them. That was where Kilyano came into play. He was to deal with the guards. The moment Sai started to cut into the vehicle he was to make his move and begin to destroy as many of the guards and bots as fast as possible. This meant he wasn't going to hold back. His biggest and best skills and techniques were going to come right out at the beginning. There may be a few innocent bystanders killed in the process but the money he was making from this mission eased his guilty conscious.

The last member of their group was female like Sai. The two of them made up the only two currently living females that were powerful and skilled enough to be trusted with the top level missions. Ithildai was going to handle their retreat. An emp shockwave was going to be used to take out any damaged electronic units like security bots or sentry weapons. Of course unshielded civilian vehicles might get caught in the blast and smash into the ground a half mile down but that wasn't really her problem. They should have foreseen this event and bought emp shielding for their vehicles. After that she was to recover their retreat with a massive blanket of darkness. It wouldn't prevent all units from following them, but only the heat seeking ones would be able to follow after that point and those that did follow could be taken care of by simply collapsing a nearby building behind her. That should put enough bodies into the air to sufficiently confuse the heat seeking units.

Again Tachiyon's hand went up signalling the approach of their target. Sai calmed herself and became relaxed. She found the more tense she became, the worse her performance was. This was going to be over an in instant, and she would start it off. She didn't acknowledge Joanne as he settled down near her, she didn't need to.

The vehicle was now in sight, shooting towards them at super sonic speeds.

Three hundred meters… Sai crouched.

Two hundred meters… Silently the kodachi was brought to her side.

One hundred meters… Sai jumped.

Target point… _I hope Elena won't be to mad at me._ Sai thought as she cut the vehicle perfectly in two.

A shockwave rippled outwards followed moments later by massive explosions and screams of agony.

Ten seconds later five people, silent as death and quick as lightning, shot through the city away from the epicentre ahead of the massive blackout that was following them on their tails. Continual explosions, screams of terror, and the rumbling of a collapsing building continued to follow them as they made their way through the city. There were no smiles, no slaps of congratulations. This was their job, and they were simply doing what must be done to complete it as efficiently and as effectively as possible.

Mission Complete.

Mission Successful.

Body Count: 30,487.

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oo-O-oo

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The next day…

"This sucks!" Elena shouted as she kicked a stone into the pond.

She was in the royal gardens, one of the few places on the planet that even remotely resembled wilderness and only because it wasn't being put to use for anything aside from recreation and relaxation. The garden was groomed daily so that it was kept in perfect condition for the royal family and visiting nobles. Guards were never allowed within the confines of the garden, not that they were ever really needed. It was situated in the very center of the royal palace with high walls that, while on the inside looked like they were made out of marble, were actually constructed with so much Adamantium plating that it would put most capital ships to shame.

Elena was upset; she wasn't allowed to leave the palace under any circumstances, not even with Sai. Her mother had come to her earlier that morning and had forbidden her from leaving and had given her shadow direct orders to detain and confine Elena to her room should she try to sneak out. All members of the royal family had shadows, elite weapons that were trained virtually from birth to be both weapon and shield for the royal family members. Elena had on numerous occasions given her shadow the slip, usually by saying she had to do lady things. Her mother had however told the shadow that to never let his eyes off her.

It's not that Elena didn't understand why she was being confined to the palace or why her mother was being so protective of her. She knew, but she didn't have to like it.

Elena wondered how Sai was doing at the moment. Probably killing someone, it was after all her profession. Elena sighed wishing she could be as cool as Sai. A mysterious black clothed figure with extreme powers flitting through shadows: Silent as death, quick as lightning, and as graceful as a Yishuna dancer. Her code name would be Death and she'd strike both awe and fear into all that gazed upon her.

Elena was abruptly pulled out of her day dream when she rolled off the bench and bonked her head off the ground. Elena quickly shot to her feet and kicked the bench. The bench, used to such treatment by now, simply dodged to the side as Elena's foot came near it. Elena stomped her foot on the ground and pouted as the bench resumed its original position.

Elena sat back down on the bench and smiled as it morphed into a lawn chair perfectly accentuating her body.

Most inorganic things on this planet had some sort of artificial intelligence built into it. They weren't given emotions, but they were able to, by watching the actions of those around them, tell what they wanted. Even walls, to a certain degree, had AI built into them. But it was more on command from the owner of said structure than anything else.

She sighed. Her father had died last night. He had been returning from a meeting when his vehicle was attacked. It had come suddenly and without warning. The security bots and guards had rushed to defend her father but had been blown away by a shockwave. They hadn't been able to do anything, they merely added to the body count in the end. The total death toll was near thirty thousand when the dust settled. Many innocent bystanders had been caught up in the attack, especially when a building suddenly collapsed throwing seventeen thousand people through the air to land a half mile down below. They were still cleaning up that mess. An emp shockwave that erupted near the end of the attack knocked out the power grid. A stray blast had ripped a small hole into the emp shielding of a nearby power station and the following emp wave had caused a massive blackout. The culprits still hadn't been caught, in fact there was no clue as to who they were or the number that attacked.

It wasn't an ordinary attack that was for sure. Royalty was far more valuable alive than dead. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would have realized that. It's not like her mother would ever take another husband and that could have been the only possible reason for removing her father.

She was an only child. Her mother wouldn't reach the child bearing period for another year. It takes thirteen years for the females of her race to recover from their first pregnancy and with each successive pregnancy the time is halved.

And that was the reason she was confined to the palace. Her mother was frightened of losing her. She was her only child and that made her value sky rocket. One could demand anything should they get their hands on her. Even killing her would serve a great benefit. It would forever end her bloodline, cripple her mother, and effectively leave the empire vulnerable to virtually all attacks. There were no council of advisors to push her mother aside should she become crippled like that.

"Ah! There you are Elena!" A voice called out from behind her.

Elena groaned into her hands. She had come here to be alone. "Whadda want Jerko?" She quipped.

"I'm hurt by such a greeting my dear Elena. My name is Chirko and I'd appreciate it if you'd call me that." Jerko said as he walked around the chair and squatted down on the ground before her.

Jerko was your regular aristocratic retard whom thinks he's the center of the universe and everyone and everything exists to fulfill his whims. He was wearing the classic suit, tie, and all that bullshit that most aristocrats wear because they think it's cool or something.

"Not now Jerko. I don't wanna talk to anyone." Elena said as she closed her eyes.

"Ah, your father." Jerko said solemnly. "I'm sorry for your loss. He was a great man."

"He was a waste of space." Elena spat out. "You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. Mother only kept him around because he was good and bed and he was the only one who could give her babies."

"Tsk tsk tsk. My dear Elena. Such words are not becoming of a lady of your station. You should respect your father." Jerko said with a greasy smile.

"I'll show you something less becoming of a 'lady of my station' if you don't leave me alone!" Elena shouted as she shook her fist at Jerko.

"You wouldn't hit me my dear! I am-"

A loud crack was heard throughout the garden as Elena ploughed her fist into Jerko's face splattering his nose and sending the retard flying across the pond. There were a couple of splashes that ended in a thud as Jerko's body skipped across the water and slammed into a rather solid tree trunk.

Jerko jumped to his feet holding his nose and ready to give Elena a piece of his mind only to find she was gone.

Elena had up and left the moment Jerko began skipping. She hated dealing with people like him. She knew her mother was worried about the bloodline ending but why she would set her up this early, and with such a pompous idiot, had her baffled.

Her shadow quietly followed with a little smile on its lips. Elena was anything if not entertaining to guard. She may be hard to guard, but she was worth the effort. She would make a good empress when she took over her mother's spot. Elena could be cute and cuddly and didn't mind being pulled around, but when one tried to push her to do something she didn't want she made damn sure that said person knew their place.

Elena stomped through the halls of the palace in a foul mood. She was going to talk to her mother. It was bad enough that she was confined to the palace, but to be forced to listen to Jerko was taking it over the edge.

Elena opened the door to her mother's study and stomped inside. Her mother was a beautiful woman, desired by virtually everyone. She was perfectly proportioned in all aspects of her figure.

"Mom! Lemme go out! I don't want to stay here any longer! Especially not with Jerko bothering me." Elena pouted and turned her puppy dog eyes upon her mother.

Unfortunately her mother was probably the only person that it wouldn't work on. "I'm sorry Elena, but I can't. You know why as well as anyone else. And don't call your future husband Jerko. You'd better get used to calling him by his name." She replied.

"NO! I'd rather choke and die on my own vomit then marry him! He's stupid, selfish, stuck up, a retard, weak, spineless, and ugly!" Elena shouted. "I don't wanna live the rest of my life married to that freak."

Elena's mother sighed in exasperation. "He may be all that but he is the son of a powerful noble. It would greatly improve and solidify relations with them. He has also been checked already and is compatible with you. There aren't very many men like that." She said.

"But-"

"No buts Elena." She said firmly.

Just then a messenger burst into the room. "Empress! It's an emergency!" The messenger gasped.

"What is it?" She asked.

"The Overlords, they've begun to move!" The messenger said; his eyes were wide and panicky.

"WHAT?" She shouted. "Why now?"

A second figure entered the room. This one decked in full battle armor. It was one of the six high generals. He stood stiffly at attention and saluted the empress, "Empress Sari, I see you have heard the news. What are our orders?" The general asked.

Elena looked back and forth between the general, messenger and her mother. Perhaps today would be a good day stay inside after all.

To be continued...

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A/N: There, chapter is out, hope you enjoyed it. Got delayed due to work and reading week (9 days without a computer, god that was hell).

A/N: Great Devourers: This is something I thought up, not sure if I got it somewhere or my twisted mind just brought it up. But a devourer is just that, a devourer. It eats EVERYTHING, and what's worse it has regenerative powers that would make Buu jealous. A Great Devourer could eat a planet in mere hours, and what's worse is, like Buu, with each thing it eats it gets bigger, and the bigger it gets the more it can eat, and the stronger it becomes. Scary thought eh? Well anyways, not going into anymore depth than that. Consider it like the big war that wiped out the supreme kais from the fourth universe, only this universe faired a little better than the fourth.

A/N: I got the aspect thing from Warcraft, I liked it so sue me for using it, hehe.

A/N: Yishuna Dancer: A dancer of the Yishuna style, I'm not going to get into what it is, it's not important; just consider it a dance that requires very graceful and precise movements.


	20. Chapter 19: Vorhkum

A/N: In case you guys didn't notice, things will really start to pick up when Gohan and the others hit the third universe. That's when the shit'll start hitting the fan. Lots of character deaths… I mean… uhhh... ignore that.

A/N: What happened to all my reviews? Ah well, I did say you only had to review if you wanted and that I wasn't gonna threaten you like some other authors.

A/N: The title of the chapter is the name of the planet. It won't actually be said anywhere in the chapter but that's just so you know what it's called. From the looks of things I may actually be able to wrap things up in this universe by chapter 20 after all. Wow.

A/N: Sorry about any grammar mistakes in advance. My proof-reader has decided to up and vanish on me. Ah well.

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Response to Reviews:

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan – Yes, that is true, Kaioken would be more powerful, but the thing is. Kaioken can only take you so far because it is exceedingly harmful to the body. The SSJ transformation gives that extra boost of power WITHOUT any detrimental health problems because the body evolves to a stage that can contain that power. Kaioken doesn't do that, it just takes the current body to the extreme and beyond. If it draws out too much power, the body will simply explode. Hence in the long run SSJ is more powerful.

Limar – I'm not sure where I got it from limar. I think it's a bit of everything really. I've read so many books and watched so many anime that I just took a bunch of little things I liked from each, combined it with some of my own imagination, stirred well, and served it out in nice bit sized chapters for your reading pleasure.

IMUniquelyStupid – All I gotta say is just wait and see, just wait and see.

Krypto – Good question. And you are quite right. Not all of them are chosen. In fact, very few of them are. Only 5 are, and 2 you haven't met. Gohan, Sapphire and 3 others. Bardock is the untouchable, not a chosen, pretty much just a walking communication device. The rest are just along for the ride. What makes it cool is that the third party involved in this doesn't know who's the chosen and who's not. They just assume that, as long as they are with Gohan, they are a chosen. Which isn't a bad way of thinking because they'll be helping Gohan as much, if not more so, than the chosen ones. Gohan's evilness will really start manifesting itself in the third universe… of course it'll have HELP, but that's beside the point.

The l33tness – I'm probably not gonna switch, no where else has near the fanbase as fan fiction, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like reviews.

wizardmon92 – It has everything to do with it. I'm adding flesh to main characters I've created in this story.

Dan415 – about that… I don't recall that at all, and even if it did… it's hard to blow up an already dead body.

Mee – I'd rather not have anyone licking my ass… who knows where their faces have been!

Dany le fou – ok, ok, I get the point -(injects his story into Dany le fou's veins)- Here it is. Feel better?

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**Chapter 19: Vorhkum**

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"This had better not be another city filled with stupid giants Trunks!" Vegeta yelled as the group flew through the air.

They'd had bad luck so far. Every city they had gone to had greeted them the same way, with violence. Apparently the giants, while civil to one another, didn't appreciate smaller races, or any other races for that matter, encroaching upon their territory.

They'd been flying around for nearly a week and the supplies they'd brought with them originally were beginning to get rather small. And considering saiyan appetites this was a very bad thing. Vegeta had taken his anger out on Trunks, the one who had been guiding them. It wasn't his fault though; he'd been just pinpointing the closest city that had yet to be visited. Vegeta just felt the need to blame something, anything, for their predicament.

"Settle down Vegeta." Gohan said looked over at the younger saiyan. "These life forces feel different than all the others. And, from the looks of things, it appears as if they're living below ground which is another difference between this group of life forms and those of the giants."

"There is also far more of them." Trunks replied, "And they're weaker, in general, than the giants. It definitely appears as if it's a different race. Perhaps we'll get a…better reception this time."

"Hmph." Vegeta grumped.

"We're here." Bardock said as he stopped.

Everyone else stopped and looked back at him in curiosity. They followed his gaze, which was directed towards the ground, and a cleverly concealed hatch.

"Good eyes." Karreth said as she and the others floated down to the ground.

As they landed the hatch burst open and the group quickly found themselves surrounded by large warriors. They towered over the saiyans, the shortest being six and a half feet tall and the biggest over eight. All of them were armed to the teeth with what appeared to be finely honed enchanted weapons and armor. One of the warriors, the strongest of the group, stepped forward, his weapon held out in front of him.

"What do you what? If your intentions are hostile, you will not leave here alive." He threatened.

Gohan and the others exchanged looks. This was certainly nice. They weren't immediately attacked upon sight, but rather confronted cautiously. This they could deal with. Gohan placed a hand on Vegeta's head to still him, although it was hardly necessary.

"Don't worry, we have no hostile intentions." Gohan said with a smile. "We just need a place to rest, gather food, and collect information."

"And how do I know that you are not lying?"

"You don't." Gohan said, "All I can do is give you my word that we have no hostile intentions."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "That's not good enough. We'll need proof of your sincerity, as well as a proof of your strength." He looked over at Sapphire and Karreth and looked them up and down. "The woman may enter; they look like they are prime breeding stock."

Sapphire's eyes widen in surprise and she quickly hid behind Gohan to get away from the look. Karreth however looked furious.

"BREEDING STOCK!" Karreth roared as she stomped forward. "I'm going to kick your ass to the moon!"

"KARRETH!" Gohan shouted, stopping her in her tracks. He didn't want this to deteriorate. Gohan turned to the leader. "I'm sorry but they're not for breeding with. The only men allowed to touch them are ones they allow. And either one of them is far more powerful than you or your men." Gohan stated.

"Let me use his head as a soccer ball, like I did with those fucking dragons." Karreth growled as she glared at Gohan.

The leader scoffed, "You, a woman, kill a dragon?" He laughed, as did most of his men. "I doubt it. Dragons are notoriously hard to kill. Only the strongest of our people can kill a dragon."

Gohan stared at the leader hard. "Yes well, tell that to the three thousand dragons we sent packing." Gohan stated flatly.

The leader glared at Gohan. "Hmph, bring me the head of an elder dragon or greater and we will consider letting you in. If you really did defeat that many dragons, although I highly doubt it, you should have no problem with one." He replied.

Gohan's face scrunched up, "Well, alright, but how do we tell what level a dragon is? It's not like we can just waltz up to one and ask it its age."

The leader frowned. "If it's over four hundred feet in length it'll be an elder dragon." He pointed to the mountain range behind him. "Just bring it there 'if' you get the head. We'll be able to see you coming and signal you, considering you even make it to the dragon's lair in one piece." He laughed uproariously.

Gohan quickly agreed, not wanting to start a fight, and shot into the air, quickly followed by the rest, and headed towards the nearest dragon den. Trunks and Gohan could easily pin point the location since they had excellent ki sensing skills and had felt the life forces of dragons before. As the guards faded into the distance Gohan couldn't help but think that he'd overlooked something.

"They won't be back." The leader said with a smirk. "They headed straight for the lair of the shadow dragons."

"I'm not so sure." One of guards said.

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"They… are not normal. They, how do I put it, are not of this planet." He said with his voice barely above a whisper. "I could almost feel their power, almost see it. I've never felt that in with anything save perhaps the greatest of dragons, the titan elders and the Thrask."

"Psch, there you go again with your stupid feeling crap. You need to get out more, have a fun time with some of the woman; just about all of them would take you Rahkhain. After all, you're the first Arkon in three generations to go toe-to-toe with an elder wyrm and win, and you're only twenty. There's already a story written about your exploits." The leader said as he put his arm around the young Arkon and lead him and the others back into the safety of their underground tunnels.

Rahkhain just blushed and allowed him to be led away. Sure, he was like most men, horny and in need of sex, but he didn't want just any female, he wanted one who would care and love him. Sure sex was all nice and well but there wasn't any point behind it, just mindless bump and grind, unless there was that extra additional meaning with it.

He thought back to the strange group of people that had been assembled by the entrance. They were a motley bunch that was for sure. But he couldn't help but feel that he belonged out there, with them, not down here cooped up and afraid of the next demon raid. He thought back to the strange woman who hid behind the group's leader. She was certainly interesting, perhaps his type, but she was obviously smitten by her leader. The other one sure wasn't. He couldn't deal with that kind of temper on a day to day basis.

They stopped at a small maze of rooms. There were several rooms, one for monitoring the entrance to the underground tunnels. A couple for sleeping quarters, one for the mess hall, and a couple others for relaxation.

It was one of the safest jobs, guarding the surface entrances, and normally Rahkhain wouldn't have been assigned there except that the elders figured he needed a little rest from his excursion against the dragons. Rahkhain figured it was to let his fame die down a little before he went out and did another spectacular battle against an elder titan or a creature of similar strength.

What Rahkhain would have preferred was to be stationed at the Delta gate down below where the vast majority of the demon raids took place. He could better serve his people there as opposed to here. Titans didn't care about where they lived so didn't bother them, and with the Titans constantly getting more powerful and more numerous the dragons were too busy trying to keep their territory to worry about the lands of the Arkons. The Thrask, while the strongest creature in the universe, just kept to itself because it wasn't a match if it was forced to face a large group of titans or dragons and was too large to fit in the small tunnels created by the Arkons.

That left just the demons, ugly fuckers that came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They and the Arkons constantly contested for land. One generation the Arkons would gain much ground against the demons and the next they'd lose it again. It was an on going cycle, and one Rahkhain prayed he could break. This was the generation that, if the cycle were to repeat itself, the demons would regain the lost ground. From the reports they'd be receiving from the various gates it appeared as if the demons may very well take back their ground but Rahkhain felt that, if he were down there, he'd be able to break the cycle and his people would finally be able to beat the demons back once and for all.

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-(-oo-O-oo-)-

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A few hours later…

"We're getting close." Gohan said, "Time for you to power-up."

Four massive sonic booms echoed through the air as the four saiyans quickly powered up to super saiyan. A few moments later a flash of bright light followed by a sonic boom rippled through the air as Trunks ascended to the second level.

The group flashed through the sky, so intent on their destination they didn't even notice the presence until it was upon them.

"Trunks! Everyone! Watch out!" Gohan shouted quickly as he dove to the side. Everyone scattered and began powering up energy blasts until a voice stopped them.

"That's hardly the way to greet someone." A feminine voice said as a massive dragon settled down upon the ground before the group. Her scales were the same color as Blight's.

The saiyans all stared at the massive dragon in surprise. "You, you look like Blight." Karreth said in astonishment.

The dragon looked at Karreth questioningly. "Blight? Oh! Ashlayintran although you may know him as Ashlay." The dragon said with a smile. Everyone decided right than that it was damn creepy seeing a dragon smile. "He's my son. How's he doing by the way?"

Gohan and Trunks nodded, that confirmed their suspicions. The other's had this deadpan kind of look to their faces. Her life force felt quite similar to Blight's. "He's doing fine, going to be a father soon. His wife is kind of nervous; she isn't sure if she's going to give birth the normal way or if she's going to lay some eggs first." Gohan replied.

Liantrianious chuckled, her voice coming out oddly clear and gentle for a being of such size and power. "She has nothing to fear. Although her children will have all the draconic features of the father, should my son ever decide to teach them the transformation techniques. But that is neither the reason I have come, nor is it relevant to your being here."

"No, it's not. We need the head of an elder dragon or bigger; don't suppose you'll mind lending us your own?" Gohan asked innocently.

Liantrianious smiled again, sending a second wave of chills down their backs. "No, I'm afraid not, but I know a few that could be 'persuaded' to give up theirs. Hence the reason I am here." She replied, "There is an ancient dragon within the mountain you are headed towards. I want you to kill it for me. It is the strongest of the shadow dragons, and it will easily persuade the Arkon's that you're strong enough to enter their lair."

"How do you know about that?" Trunks demanded.

"I have my ways."

"Why do you want us to kill the ancient shadow dragon?" Gohan said as he stared steadily at Blight's mother. "We're not exactly on friendly terms with you dragons so I don't see why we couldn't just take yours."

Liantrianious sighed and rolled her eyes, "Humans, always so blind to what's right in front of their eyes." She muttered to herself. "For one, the dragons that attacked you were all shadow dragons, a hybrid dragon if you will. A mutation designed to fight an ancient enemy that no longer exists. They were driven mad and then manipulated and controlled by a powerful draconic creature, one we exiled from this universe many centuries ago for unethical practices. The vast majority of the dragon race had nothing to do with the attack; we ourselves were victims of a surprise attack by the shadow dragons. We're currently fighting them ourselves and would appreciate it if you would help. Or rather, I would and a few others. Most don't know you're even here. We would both benefit from such an agreement, so will you accept?"

"Sure! Why not. I don't see anything wrong with that." Gohan said with a smile.

"You sure we can trust them Gohan?" Karreth asked.

"Nope, but it doesn't really matter now does it Karreth?" Gohan said still smiling. "Trust has to start somewhere, and besides, she is Blight's mother, of that I have no doubt, and I say let's trust her. It's not like we'll be doing anything we weren't going to do before anyways. Our destination hasn't changed, our target is still a big dragon and if she's trustworthy we'll have a bunch of massively powerful dragons indebted to us."

"If you say so Gohan." Karreth replied.

"Then it's settled." Liantrianious replied. "We've managed to corner the remaining insane shadow dragons there but the ancient wyrm Zarytinous poses a great threat. He's prepared to counter a full scale draconic assault, however a small group of 'lowly' humans, he will let you right in so he can eat you himself. We can't launch a full scale assault until we have a way of dealing with him. We'll be awaiting your safe return. I'll let the other dragons know to let you pass unharmed." She said as she took to the air with a single flap of her wings.

"Well that was certainly an interesting encounter." Gohan mused.

"She was beautiful." Sapphire said with awe written all over her face.

"Yes, she was in an exotic and alien kind of way."

"I hope you're not getting any ideas about picking her as your mate Gohan." Karreth said with a smirk.

Gohan laughed and shook his head. "Oh no, don't worry about that. I'd choose you before her." Gohan said with a smile as he took to the air.

The others were quick to follow suit, not wanting to be left behind. Karreth had a little smile on her face as she at Gohan from behind.

Gohan, for one, was glad that Liantrianious had ordered the other dragons to let them pass, considering there was at least half a million of them there in the mountains. Gohan knew that even he would have been hard pressed to survive against that many. Gohan thought briefly how many there had been before the attack from the shadow dragons.

The group blasted through the lines of the draconic forces and shot towards one of the huge openings in the side of the mountain spire. Dragons being as big as they are require big openings, and so it was no wonder that Gohan and the others felt dwarfed when they shot through the passages towards the center of the mountain. The passages were easily wide and high enough to allow several score dragons through at any given time. Oddly enough during their passage through the tunnel they didn't see even a single dragon. They all began to grow a little nervous at this development.

With a suddenness that surprised them all they left the passage and entered an absolutely titanic cavern. There were many platforms jutting out from various parts of the cavern wall but they did little to shrink the sheer immense size of the cavern. Here, however, they did find dragons, lots of dragons, more than what attack them before.

"Uh, Gohan. This could become a problem." Karreth said quietly. Not quietly enough however as ten's of thousands of dragons swivelled their heads towards them.

"Great Karreth, just great." Vegeta said sarcastically, "Way to let everyone know we're here."

"Shut up you two, this isn't the time for bickering." Bardock snapped as he got into a fighting position.

"He's right." Gohan said as floated forward, searching for the ancient wyrm. "Let's just find Zarytinous, kill the lizard, and get out of here, preferably before every dragon in this cavern as a chance to take a shot at us."

"Ha ha ha." A deep voice boomed through the cavern. "What amusing, ha ha. Flesh and bones shall rend and break, creatures you are." Zarytinous said as he uncoiled himself from the platform nearest the group.

It was then that Gohan and the others were able to get a clear picture of what it was they were supposed to fight. The first thing they noticed was his size and color. He was a purple dragon, or rather a black dragon so ancient his scales had turned a dark purple. He was easily a couple hundred feet longer than even Blight. The next thing they noticed, were his eyes. They were filled with complete and utter insanity, no, something so dark and twisted that it made insanity seem like nothing.

"Ooohh…I can't wait… rend and tear, strip the flesh from your bones, how delicious." The ancient wyrm cackled in delight, "Crunching bones, music, ah, yes… oooo… yes… I shiver… rend and tear, mangle and maim, I shall feast on you oh yes, oh yes, yessss, I desire… oooo… yes…"

"Gohan?" Trunks asked.

"If I had to wager a guess I'd think that is Zarytinnusan-whatever. Regardless, he's over 400 feet in length, let's kill the bastard, take his head, and get out of here." Gohan relied.

Zarytinous cackled again, "Take my head, ooo, try yes… try… come fleshlings, let me rend and tear, feast and eat. I hunger for your souls!" He roared and launched himself at Gohan and the others faster than they thought he could move.

Gohan pushed Sapphire out of the way as a massive tail rushed at them faster than she could react. A loud crack-boom was heard throughout the cavern as Gohan was slammed into the side of the cavern at super sonic speeds.

"GOHAN!" Sapphire cried out in horror.

"Don't worry about him Sapphire! Worry about yourself! Gohan is fine." Trunks said as he dodged a claw swipe.

"I'll make you pay!" Sapphire declared quietly as she disappeared from view and began concentrating.

"**KAMEHAME-HA!**" Bardock quickly shouted as he slammed his hands forward and unleashed a massive wave of energy at the ancient wyrm.

A look of surprise crossed Zarytinous' face as he glanced at the oncoming energy wave. He obviously didn't think he'd be fighting creatures capable of this kind of power.

However…

A massive boom rocked the mountain as the energy wave slammed into the ancient wyrm and exploded into a massive ball of energy and fire. When the smoke cleared Zarytinous sat there calmly picking at his teeth with a single claw.

When he noticed he was no longer concealed he cackled. "Stupid fleshlings, powerless against me, I shall strip the flesh from your bones, and eat it before your very eyes!" He shouted with glee as he lunged at Bardock, quicker than ever before.

"**BIG BANG ATTACK!**" Trunks roared as he held his palm out towards the oncoming dragon. A massive flash of blue light lit the cavern up as the ball of energy flashed from Trunks' outstretched palm into the dragon's massive torso faster than anyone could follow.

A massive boom echoed throughout the cavern as the energy bomb engulfed the dragon and exploded into a massive ball of fire momentarily blinding many people in the cavern. A moment later a crash was heard as Zarytinous was slammed into the platform he had left a few minutes prior.

Two yellow energy waves following Zarytinous and slammed into him only moments after the dragon slammed into the platform. With a roar the dragon shot out from the crater and shot towards Trunks. That blast had actually hurt it. There was a massive gap in the side of his body where the scales had been shredded and ripped from his torso. Dark black blood seeped from the open wound. Trunks was a threat to its existence and must be terminated at all costs.

Trunks was about to dodge out of the way when a massive storm of spells slammed into the dragon. Acid ate at the scales as lightning weakened the bonds holding it to the body while a bolt of ether simply punctured through the weakened scales and out the other side through the hole that Trunks had created. Spikes of rock shot through the air where they became super-heated and changed into spikes of magma just before they slammed into the dragon.

Now Zarytinous knew he was in trouble. There were two individuals there capable of hurting him. While the wounds were superficial and small considering his vast bulk, given time those two individuals may actually be able to kill him.

Zarytinous righted himself up and glared at the small elven girl in anger. "Kill them!" He roared, and the air was filled with explosions. Zarytinous swivelled his head around in surprise as he saw dozens of burning shadow dragons fall through the air to the floor far below.

"Finish your own battles yourself." Gohan said with a smirk as he lowered his arms. He turned to his friends. "You guys seemed to be handling him well. I'll make sure your fight isn't interfered with." Gohan reappeared behind Zarytinous and kicked him in the back, sending the dragon hurtling towards Trunks. "Catch!"

"Thanks Gohan!" Trunks yelled as wrapped his legs around Zarytinous' neck and threw him into the wall behind him.

More explosions filled the air as more shadow dragons were turned into burning husks of lifeless flesh. "Maybe I can up my kill count to two thousand." Gohan mused as he blasted dragon after dragon.

Trunks felt power levels of Vegeta, Bardock and Karreth begin to spike sharply. "**RENZOKU ENERGY DAN!"** Trunks shouted as he held his arm forward and began to shoot energy blast after energy blast towards the dragon faster than the eye could follow.

Sapphire followed suit, slinging spell after spell at the ancient wyrm. Much to her disgruntlement many of the instant spells like weaken, curse and others were shrugged off as if they were nothing more than gnats. Only damaging spells, and only as long as they were supped up, seemed to have any lasting effect on the dragon.

"**FINAL**" Vegeta spread his arms and legs out as a yellowish aura wrapped itself around his body crackling violently.

"**KAME**" Bardock brought his arms down to his side and cupped them as he gathered a huge amount of energy between them.

"**MASENKO**" Karreth raised her arms above her head. A large ball of yellow energy gathered above her hands.

Zarytinous broke out of the continuous assault on his person by Sapphire and Trunks and charged towards Vegeta in hopes of disrupting his attack when a draconic corpse slammed into him. The unbalanced dragon was easy prey for Trunks' next attack. A powerful punch slammed into Zarytinous' left eye splattering it like an over-ripe piece of fruit slamming into a wall at super-sonic speeds.

"**HAME**" Visible streams of blue energy began to stream ever more quickly into Bardock's cupped hands as the energy within grew larger and denser with every second.

Zarytinous roared in pain and agony at the destruction of his eye, and as a consequence was to preoccupied to even notice Sapphire's attack until two balls of magical energy slammed into his hide and rocked him back several dozen meters.

"**FLASH!**" Vegeta cupped his hands in front of him and unleashed a massive torrent of energy towards the stricken ancient wyrm.

"**HA!**" Bardock whipped his hands out before him and unleashed a massive blue energy wave towards the dragon at the same time as Vegeta.

"**HA!**" Karreth, following the other two, launched her massive energy assault at the same time.

Zarytinous recovered just in time to watch as the two energy waves curled around Vegeta's energy torrent to slam into him at the exact same time. The entire cavern exploded into light as the energy waves collided with the colossal figure of Zarytinous, and kept on going. Zarytinous' scream of agony echoed throughout the cavern, into the tunnels and out into the wilderness beyond as the energies ripped through his torso, completely destroying all vital internal organs and continued onwards into the wall and through the mountain.

The dragons outside took that as their cue. A scream of unbearable agony, that could have emanated from only Zarytinous, followed by a large wave of energy ripping through the mountain and heading out into space was fair indication that Zarytinous wasn't in any position to give them trouble. With roars of anger the dragons hurtled into the tunnel as they sought to wreck revenge upon their former brethren, the shadow dragons.

"Guys… I think we should huddle near that wall over there with our prize." Gohan said as he slowly floated over to the wall of a platform, holding onto the horn of Zarytinous which was attached to his head. "There are a lot of upset dragons shooting through those tunnels as we speak."

The others were quick to follow suit.

Gohan laid the head down on the ground and sat on the top of it just as the first of the dragons broke into the cavern. The death of Zarytinous had demoralized the shadow dragons and they were in no manner prepared for the onslaught that was to come. The saiyans simply watch with fascination as the dragons ripped into the former brethrens with almost child like abandon.

Sapphire turned away and began to weep softly. She still wasn't used to this whole sale slaughter and what was worse it was bringing back the bad memories of the previous fight she had with dragons. Gohan landed softly beside Sapphire and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's alright. It… had to be done. You saw their eyes. They were all insane. Consider this… easing their pain. They'll be able to pass into the next life now. Start a new life with new friends and family where they'll be happy once more." Gohan started. He began to say soothing words of comfort to Sapphire to help ease her suffering. He remembered how much he had hurt the first few times he had been forced to kill someone. Gohan could only hope she'll soon be able to deal with it on her own. He had a feeling there were going to be times in the future where all convenient excuses like 'insanity' or 'evil' will not be applicable.

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-(-oo-O-oo-)-

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An hour later…

"Is she going to be alright?" Liantrianious asked in concern.

They were all gathered outside resting near the base of the mountain. The head of Zarytinous lay nearby. They were waiting for Gohan to finish calming Sapphire down.

"Yes, I think she'll be fine. She was much worse the first time." Gohan said.

"She's just weak." Vegeta grumbled.

"I don't think she is." Gohan said as he rubbed her head. "Unlike us she isn't genetically built to handle combat and killing. I think she's handling this remarkably well when all things are considered. At least she doesn't break down in the middle of combat like the vast majority of people do after the first few times they kill someone."

"Ya whatever." Vegeta said. He turned away and walked over to the decapitated head and began inspecting it.

"I think I'll help carry that head to your destination. I know where you are headed. It's one of the Arkon's key cities: Tyrnail." Liantrianious spoke. "I wish to offer them a deal."

Gohan smiled in thanks, "Thanks, it'd be rather awkward trying to lug that big thing around behind us." Gohan said as he pointed at the head.

"I'm alright now Gohan." Sapphire said as she raised her head. "Let's keep going. I'm sorry for the trouble I'm causing." She said apologetically as she glanced at Vegeta.

Trunks snorted. "I thought you'd be used to his manner of speaking." Trunks said with a smile as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "He's always like that. I think a large bug crawled up his ass and died in there when he was a baby and he hasn't been able to pull it out yet." Trunks laughed bringing a smile to Sapphire's face.

"Hey! I heard that!" Vegeta yelled.

The smile on Sapphire's face grew a little wider.

"Heh, let's get going then." Gohan said with a smile as he stepped away from Sapphire.

Liantrianious lowered her wing to the ground and beckoned Sapphire to get on. "Here little one, ride on my back. It shall make your journey easier."

Sapphire smiled graciously and climbed on top of Liantrianious. With a powerful lunge and a single mighty beat of her wings Liantrianious was launched hundreds of feet into the air. Gohan and the others were quick to follow.

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-(-oo-O-oo-)-

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An hour later…

Rahkhain ignored the stares he was receiving as he weaved his way through the streets towards the command center. They were always looking at him, eying him, watching his every move like a hawk eying a juicy field mouse.

"Oh Rahkhain! Why don't you come inside for a moment? There is much we could… discuss." One of them called out.

Well, at least the passive ones watched him like a hawk. The aggressive ones did everything but pounce on him in the streets. He knew he shouldn't have killed that elder dragon. Now they wouldn't leave him alone.

Women.

Rahkhain ignored her and kept on walking through the streets. He had to report to the command center. His squad leader had sent him back to Tyrnail. A large city on the fringe of their lands designed to protect the inner cities. There were only five routes into the inner portion of their empire, and every route was guarded by a large and heavily fortified city. The other four cities were Junia, Unioa, Kinail and Olympia.

That wasn't to say that those five cities were the only defence they had. They were a race of warriors; all of their cities were heavily fortified. It was that those five, aside from the imperial capital, were the most heavily defended and fortified positions. Even a Thrask, should it ever manage to fit through the small tunnels, would have a difficult time getting through any of those cities.

"Rahkhain!" A voice called out.

A smile bloomed on Rahkhain's face as he turned to greet the voice. "Toril! How's it going?" Rahkhain said happily.

Toril was a large Arkon, several inches taller than Rahkhain and a little more heavily muscled. He had shoulder length dark brown hair and green eyes, an unusual combination in one of their kind and one that has singled him out on more than one occasion. A large double-bladed staff was strapped across his back and small throwing weapons could be seen holstered in various spots on his body. He was wearing enchanted demon-hide battle armor.

Toril and Rahkhain had been friends since childhood, growing up and training together. Toril had always been slower and weaker than Rahkhain, but he didn't hold it against his friend. Having him as a rival was a good way to stay in top condition, and as a consequence he became one of the most powerful Arkons of their generation. Toril, if anything, was thankful of Rahkhain for being as powerful as he was.

Toril laughed, "Doing great, didn't expect to see you back so soon. Did your position chaff you that much?" Toril said jokingly as he elbowed Rahkhain in the stomach.

Rahkhain laughed in return and punched Toril in the arm. "No, I'm here to deliver a message for the general. Want to come along?" Rahkhain asked.

Toril grinned, "Sure."

The two walked through the streets together talking of old battles and past times. Catching up on recent news and gossip. The elders in the council were still playing politics, trying to manipulate events to best suit themselves, as opposed to their people. Everyone knew what they were doing but with the elite guards protecting them there wasn't much anyone could do. Only the empress or her children could make the council do anything and they were content as long as they were safe and happy.

Women were hanging over him now as much as they were Rahkhain. The fact that the pair were close friends was lost on none and many were beginning to wonder if they had some sort of secret training routine that allowed them to become as powerful as they are. Unfortunately Toril was more interested in protecting his people than mating, so it ended up he ignored the women almost as much as his friend did. He didn't have time for a child.

There were rumours of a powerful female down by one of the gates as well. No one was sure though, there had been no confirmation but rumours had it that a female had risen above her station and had become stronger than most of the men. Kioynia was what the rumours had said her named was. Most scoffed at it saying women were only meant for breeding, the imperial family excluded of course, but Toril hoped otherwise. He didn't care if Kioynia was male or female; all he cared about was that she was supposedly very powerful. If that was so then it would mean another powerful person, like himself, was down by the gates fighting to hold them.

Toril had been named 'Demon Slayer' and 'Epsilon Champion' a week past for his efforts down at the Epsilon Gate where his efforts had averted disaster and prevented the gate from being overrun. That was where he had gotten the new battle armor. They had stripped the hides of a dozen demons to create it, reinforced it with special alloys shipped down from the mines and smelting plants in Hyuril and then enchanted it to greatly enhance its defensive capabilities.

Toril was given a week vacation for his efforts. Come tomorrow he would be back down at the Epsilon Gate to fight the demons once more. Their attacks were coming more frequently and with much more force.

"Unless a miracle happens… The gates are going to be overrun before the end of the year." Toril sadly commented.

"I won't let that happen." Rahkhain said fiercely. He looked down at his hand and clenched it tightly. "After this current assignment I'm going down to the gates myself. The council be damned, I'm not about to let our people lose that prime crop land because some bastards want to play politics."

Toril smiled, "That would be great. Finally some competent help. I honestly wonder about those council fools. All of our best warriors are doing menial tasks like you. It's as if they've given the gates up for lost and don't want to lose our best warriors so they're pulling them all back." Toril kicked a stone, a scowl creased his face. "They don't realize that if we had our best warriors there, like you, me, Kioynia, Jiraya, and the others… We'd be the ones beating THEM back."

"Don't worry. I'll hold the gates by myself if I have to. Those demons will only take them over my dead body." Rahkhain vowed.

The two of them turned at an intersection and the command center came into their line of sight. It was a massive seven story compound that looked like a miniature fortress.

"Not alone Rahkhain." Toril said as he slapped his friend on the back. "I'll be standing there right with you. Some of the others are starting to grumble about their positions as well. If you just up and march to the gates against orders to hold them many others may just follow you."

The two of them entered the headquarters through one of the many guarded entrances. The guards nodded at them and let them pass without a second glance. The two of them were becoming quite famous and there were few that hadn't heard of them.

"So anything interesting happen on your 'watch'?" Toril asked with a grin. He knew quite well that Rahkhain had been assigned one of the dullest, quiet, and monotonous duties possible.

"Perhaps." Rahkhain said with a grin.

Toril's eyes rose. "Oh? Do tell my dear friend." Toril asked.

"Just wait, the message is about it." He replied.

The two of them continued through the quiet halls in silence. It wasn't that the place wasn't boisterous; it was just that the walls were all sound proof. The place was designed so you could only hear things that were occurring behind you, as you moved deeper into the fortress complex. It was an ingenious defensive design making it possible for almost limitless ambush opportunities for the defenders. The defenders always knew just exactly where their enemies were based on sounds, but the attackers couldn't hear anything at all. No one knew if it was simply because of the way the building was designed or if it was due to a large amount of magical enchantments.

After several minutes of walking they entered a small room with a small desk with a small, for an Arkon, person sitting behind it.

"Yes? May I help you?" He asked.

"I'm here to see general Bob." Rahkhain said. "I have a message from my squad leader for him."

The small man yawned and waved them on. "Sure, whatever, go on in. No one has come to see him all day so he's probably bored."

Rahkhain gulped and entered the door the man had waved at. Toril hesitantly followed him.

The office was plain, very plain. In fact, it wasn't much different from the one they had left save it was slightly larger, had a larger desk with a lot of paper on it, and a huge Arkon sitting behind it grumbling as he ploughed his way through the stack of papers. Now Bob isn't a very imposing name, in fact some may consider it down right lame, but no one, absolutely no one, ever thought about saying it, even in whispers in dark corners thousands of miles away from him. Bob is not an imposing name, but the body it was attached too sure was. Tall even for an Arkon, standing nearly nine feet in height and almost half as much wide. He was huge, superbly muscled and was known to rip demons apart with his bare hands. It was said that when he was younger he actually managed to best an adult dragon with sheer raw strength and one look at this massive man gave much credence to the tale.

Bob looked up and scowled at Rahkhain and Toril. "What do you scum sucking sons of bitches want?" Bob snapped.

Rahkhain gulped and stepped forward to place a letter on Bob's desk. "It's a message from my squad leader, he says…"

"I don't give a fuck what that two-timing weakling loser has to say. What could possibly happen at that gate that would require my attention? The birds there fly upside down because there's nothing worth shitting on!"

"Well, we had visitors…" Rahkhain started.

"Visitors?" Bob said, staring hard at young Arkon. This was something new. "Ceh, now I can't whip the bastard when he returns." He turned his gaze on Toril. "And why are you here? Shouldn't you be fucking some dumb broad before your next assignment?"

"Well, I was escorting Rah…"

"Escorting? What the fuck? Against what? Rabid mice?" The general snapped. "About the greatest thing this man has to worry about are some fucking women jumping him in the street to gobble up his cock!" He opened the letter.

"Well I…"

"Shut the fuck up, I don't care! You can stare at your friend's ass while he walks through the street, I don't care." Bob said as he glanced over the letter. "Well, well, well. A group of wierdos drop out of no where and ask for entry. Then your cock sucking squad leader, god I hate that bastard. Someone should have him executed. He's nothing but a snivelling son of a shit. Yes, so we should keep a look out for a group of flaming homosexuals carrying a giant head. Great, just great." Bob muttered as he threw the letter behind him. "Like that'll happen, next thing you know a messenger will run through that door…"

The door burst open and a messenger appeared panting heavily. "General! A group of flaming homosexuals are flying towards us!"

"I'm seriously going to murder you." Bob said as he glared at the messenger.

The messenger gulped. "B-But that's not all! One of them is riding a dragon! AND IT'S HUGE!" The messenger shouted as he began to tremble. "It's over six hundred feet long and it's silver and gold!"

"WHAT?" Bob roared as he rose to his feet. Rahkhain's and Toril's eyes were both wide. The only known metallic dragon that was over six hundred feet in length was the ancient wyrm Liantrianious. No one wanted to tangle with her. She was said to be the most powerful and ancient of all the dragons. She could cause some serious destruction before she was brought down. Her breath weapon was capable of penetrating deep into the earth. She could strike directly at their city if she knew exactly where to fire.

"Yes general! It's true! I swear! They'll be here any second. The dragon is carrying something too; something large enough that it requires the dragon to use two of it's feet."

"It could be the head they were asked to recover." Rahkhain said, his mind quickly working through the information.

"I don't give a fuck about the head!" Bob snapped. "Rahkhain, Toril, come with me. We're going to greet this wyrm before she has a chance to attack the city. And you, messenger, you had better be dead by the time I get back or I'll kill you myself." Bob said as he rushed out the door.

Rahkhain and Toril were quick to follow, not wanting to meet a similar fate as the poor messenger who was now currently wetting himself in the general's office.

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-(-OO-o-OO-)-

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Above the city…

With a massive crash the head slammed into the ground moments before Liantrianious settled down beside it.

"Hope they don't make us wait too long." Vegeta grumbled as settled down onto the ground.

"Don't worry." Trunks said as he glanced down. "I can sense many people heading this way. Although what kind of welcome we can expect, considering we have a dragon with us, is what I am worried about."

True to Trunks' words no more than a few minutes later a large hatch exploded upwards and many warriors poured out from within its depths.

Soon the group was surrounded by many large and armed Arkons who were eying them warily, awaiting the command of their superior office to begin the attack.

"So much for a hospitable welcome." Trunks said dryly as he glanced around.

Vegeta sniffed as he folded his arms across his chest. "These peons can't even hurt us. Just check their power levels. The vast majority of them are weaklings! Bah, I don't see why we don't just blast the lot of them."

"Because, Vegeta, they are the first individuals on this planet to 'not' attack us on sight. That means they can be talked to, negotiated with." Gohan said as he stepped forward.

A massive Arkon stepped out from the crowd; he towered over Gohan and the others. Two other Arkons flanked him. Gohan eyed one of them strangely. He had seen him before, at the other hatch. And what was more, there was something about him.

"So, you are the flaming homosexuals that were mentioned to me." Bob said as he eyed Gohan up and down.

"What did he just call me!" Vegeta yelled.

"Can I rearrange his face Gohan?" Karreth said as she rubbed her hands together. "Come on, just a little!"

"Shut up you two." Bardock snapped. "Judging by the differences between him and the others I'm willing to bet that he's a high ranking officer and you know how those men act back home on our planet."

"We were told we could be allowed down below if we demonstrated our 'might' and brought a head of suitable size." Gohan said firmly, not back down from Bob. "Does the head of the ancient shadow dragon Zarytinous meet the specified requirements?" Gohan asked with a little smile on his face.

Bob glanced over at the head, at Liantrianious, and then back to Gohan. "Right, and I'm supposed to believe some weakling shit like you killed one of the most powerful creatures on this planet?"

Gohan smirked. "No, I didn't kill him. I didn't fight him at all." Gohan replied. "He wasn't worth my time. He was good exercise and practice for my friends though." Gohan said as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulders.

"I don't…"

"It is true." Liantrianious said as she took a lumbering step forward. "These mortals helped me and my children finish off the last of the shadow dragons, the ones that had been driven insane, by killing Zarytinous."

Bob eyed the ancient wyrm warily. "And what the fuck do you want? All of you. If I don't get a satisfactory answer, you will all die here."

Vegeta and Karreth began to snicker while Trunks just shook his head sadly.

Gohan sighed. "I think you're underestimating us. Regardless, we're hungry. We're almost out of food; we haven't had a safe place to sleep since coming to this planet. We've been looking for a place where we could rest, relax and feed ourselves. That is why we are here because unlike those other giant creatures out on the plains you didn't attack us on sight."

Bob scowled and turned to the ancient wyrm. "And you?"

Liantrianious smiled and began to transform, changing and morphing until she stood on two feet. Her wings disappeared into her back as she shrunk to the size of Sapphire. When she finished Liantrianious the dragon was gone. In her place was Liantrianious, the human female, beautiful beyond description. Gasps arose throughout the ranks of the Arkons. For a dragon to change into a human form was the ultimate sign of trust. In that form the dragon lost much of its natural defences, making it exceedingly vulnerable to attacks.

"I wish to propose a trade of services." Liantrianious said with a smile.

"And what would that be?" Bob inquired politely. So stunned by the display of trust on the part of his adversary that he had forgotten he was supposed to be harsh and rude.

"I have received word that your people are having some troubles with the indigenous demon race." Liantrianious said.

Bob spat onto the ground. "Bah, we're fine. Those demons are no match for us."

Liantrianious smiled, "No, you are not. Your elders are removing your best and brightest from the front lines. They are so stuck in the cycle that has gone on between your two races that they have given up before you've already lost." Bob scowled but said nothing. It was true and everyone knew it. "We too are having problems." Liantrianious admitted. "The recent betrayal of the shadow dragons has greatly hurt my race. We are not as numerous as we once were and the Titans are taking advantage of that, poaching on our lands, building settlements on previously neutral zones. We'll help you drive the demons as far back as you wish if you agree to help us drive the Titans from our lands."

Bob frowned for a moment as he contemplated this. Normally he would have just said no and killed the beast but her offer was a little too tempting to just brush off and ignore. The thought of having hundreds of dragons within those lowers tunnels sweeping through the ranks of the demons just kind of appealed to him for some reason.

"Who knows, perhaps if this alliance holds, some time in the future your race will be able to build settlements above ground and without fear of retribution from the Titans." Liantrianious said.

Murmurs were beginning to spread through the crowd. It was the dream of their race to once more live above the earth on the open plains. They had been forced underground in ancient times due to the constant warring between dragons and titans. They were often caught in between and their cities had been reduced to ruins.

"Do not listen to her general."

Everyone turned to look at the new arrival. A large, burly man with greying hair stepped from the crowd, flanked by two powerful guards.

"Elder Hakim. What are you doing here?"

"Checking to see what all the fuss was about. I am glad I arrived just in time to stop this." He said.

"Stop this? Why? If we accept her offer we'll be able to drive the demons back for good!" Bob said.

"The demons can not be defeated. You should know this as well as I. Just like in the past we will be pushed back, and in the next generation, we'll retake what we lost. It is the never-ending cycle, it can not be broken. The demons allow us to live simply for their amusement. At any moment they can completely overwhelm our race."

"That's a load of shit!" Rahkhain shouted as he pointed at the elder. He was upset now, he couldn't take the load of crap the elder was feeding them. "Maybe in the past that was true! We were weak then, but no more! Now we are strong, we are holding our own! Over the generations we've pushed forward and have been pushed back, but each time we were pushed back it's taken more and stronger demons using more complex strategies and still we've last a little longer each time! If you elders would stop weakening our front lines we could keep our lands indefinitely! You're so stuck in the past you can't see what's happening right now!"

"You forget your place youngling!" Hakim snapped at Rahkhain. "I was chosen for my position because of my knowledge and wisdom! Leave the thinking to your betters!"

"If this is the depth of your knowledge and wisdom." A new voice said, "Then perhaps it is time my mother chose a new council of elders."

Hakim whirled around only to get a sword rammed through his heart. As the elder toppled backwards the elite guards that had accompanied him unsheathed their weapons only to stop in there tracks. There before them stood a tall, muscular female with long black hair tied back into a long pony-tail. A few stray bangs hung lose and dangled in front of her face. Her piercing sky blue eyes gazed back and forth between the two guards who were transfixed upon her raised hand. Upon the middle finger was a ring bearing the royal insignia of the imperial family. She was dressed head to toe in black, loose fitting clothing with a mask covering everything from her eyes down. A long sheath was strapped to her back and several knives could be seen holstered to various places on her legs and waist.

She lowered the mask from her face and gasps were heard through the assembled crowd

Bob and many others dropped to their knees. "Princess Liana, I didn't know you were here. Forgive me." Bob grovelled.

"Oh stand up general. I'm Kioynia at the moment. I'm not like my sister; I don't need men to grovel at my feet to feel good about myself." She snapped. "That goes for the rest of you as well." She addressed the crowd

Kioynia turned to Liantrianious. "Are you serious about aiding my people against the demonic legions?" She asked.

Liantrianious smiled. "Of course. We need your help, you need ours. We both gain from this exchange of services so why would I not be serious? Like I said before, my race will help push the demons as far back as you desire. Afterwards we would ask that you assist us in removing the titans from our lands."

"And what makes you so sure that we will go through with our side of the bargain after you help us?" Kioynia asked.

"Because, you have yet more you can gain from aiding us. By helping my people to drive the titans from our lands, you'll prove to us that you are not the barbaric mortals you once were. Our alliance may hold, or at least settle into a peaceful relationship. By doing so, should you ever decide to come above ground again, you would not have to worry about being caught in the middle of our conflicts. If anything we would work together to thwart the titan advances as it would be advantageous to us both." Liantrianious replied.

Kioynia nodded, "You make a good argument. I'll have to contact my mother to make sure but I don't foresee any difficulties."

A loud rumble echoed through the ground startling everyone. Gohan held his stomach in one hand and scratched his head with the other. "Uh, I don't suppose I could get some food in the mean time?" He asked with a laugh.

Trunks laughed. "Typical Gohan…"

To be continued…

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A/N: For the nit picky ones. I know masenko-ha isn't really an attack. It means, I think, "Hidden Power - Release". Which is why only Gohan used it because he had that 'hidden' power and when it was released against (like finally brought to the surface for good) Cell he never used it again because it wasn't hidden anymore. But I dun care, in this story it's an attack.

A/N: Sorry about the late release. 2 reasons. 1, Crap ton of school work, like you would not BELIEVE the amount. And 2, I ran outa motivation. As a consequence until I get it back expect the updates to be few and far between.


	21. Chapter 20: A Change of Goals

A/N: Alright, going to change things up a bit. - -oo-O-oo- - means change of time and/or place. Whereas just a l-l on a separate line means change of place without change of time.

A/N: Sorry for long wait, indepth reason is at bottom of chapter.

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Response to Reviews:

Omni – I choose bob for a reason. It's true, I've used some very unique names that I've come up with on my own but who's to say common names aren't also kicking around as well? So I named him Bob, for that reason and the fact that I found it funny. And no, won't publish, fan fictions can't be published as they are built off another's work.

Anime-Ronin – Short? I started out with chapters about 3,000 words in length :P. I don't think that chapter was 'short' by any means. I've been trying to shorten them on purpose because I've kind of tripled the size of my original chapters, and it's just becoming harder and harder to produce these chapters. As for Kioynia. Consider her a minor side character. A side character of little importance, and one that'll be forgotten after they leave that planet. As for the harem… It's going to… change a bit in this chapter, and it'll be reduced to just 1 in the next universe, especially after Gohan fucks said woman's brains out. But that is later.

MysticSuperSaiyanGohan – No mystical super saiyan levels. There will be a Mystic SSJ level at least, it was mention in one of the version of DBZ by the ancient Kai so that's why I'm doing it. There may be level 3 SSJ for the others, no level 4 because I don't consider GT true to the dragonball universe and won't ever use that crap in my stories.

Krypto – Third universe is where Gohan will start having to get his hands dirty. For example, Sai is stronger than Trunks when he is at his max with both arms in SSJ2, and she's hardly the strongest. Strongest female, yes, but hardly the strongest. Like I've said before. The shit begins to hit the fan in the next universe.

Bob – lol, I think you're overestimating my stories and my abilities, but thanks for the praise, and nice name.

Limar – Please… no caps… And the reason why… 1, Videl isn't a saiyan, she can't build up those massive amounts of muscles. 2, Celipa is no where NEAR as strong as Karreth, and 3, remember, those body builders you see on tv, they're all dehydrated to accentuate their muscles. In reality they are NOT that defined. I made her that way because I felt like it :).

Luna's Meow – Lol, you need to realize, they're underground. The dragons won't be flying at all unless they're in a large cavern. In fact, aside from the smaller ones, most of them will be in human form until they get to such places.

Ravus – Well, the reason I don't have any 1 on 1 battles is that, aside from that one creature Trunks fought on that previous world, or that big dragon, they hadn't faced anyone or anything that even posed them a challenge. With Buu, they didn't fuse, they simply combined their energy attacks into one. Goku and Vegeta have done that from time to time. And no, it won't be used again… Kind of hard to when Trunks only has 1 arm. As for the crystal and why it shattered. You'll learn more about it soon. Basically that big being wants to gather as many of his chosen together before he explains himself and why they're doing all this stuff. He dislikes repeating himself. Don't worry, I love long reviews. Gives me something to respond to. Trunks won't be getting a mechanical arm. No SSJ4, I hated that about GT. They should have just made new techniques and strategies as opposed to 'powering up to the next level'.

Evolved Saiyan Gohan – Wow… never expected that. As for AIM.. .sorry don't got that. Don't really need a beta reader either. I figure I'm good enough without one, I make mistakes, yup, but I'll go over the important parts a second and maybe a third time to make sure they're ok so the good parts aren't ruined.

Zaln – As for who Gohan will end up with . . Just wait and read, hehe. I had decided who Gohan was gonna end up with before he finished his stay on planet Vegeta. In the third universe Gohan will meet people that will give him a run for his money, it's also there that the pairings will be decided as I don't think I'm gonna include the fourth (don't think the story will ever finish if I try to do the fourth one). So all the shit hitting fan stuff is in the third universe. And you were correct about powering up the others. Think about it, they started at what? Bardock and the other two were under 100,000,000. while Trunks at max was only 340 million. That means by the fourth universe if I didn't beef the other three they'd be useless, and Trunks, while sure he'd be strong enough to do stuff, with the loss of his arm he'd be at too great a disadvantage so I spent a lot of time beefing them up. And you'll see just how much they've beefed up at the end of this chapter (read it first, don't just skip down and read the power levels:) )

Omni – About Karreth and Gohan, wait and see, not saying anything. Gohan will probably ascend simply because I wanna see him ascend :). And as for the last bit, I've got no flippin idea but it'd be weird never-the-less . A tailed elf, wow, that'd be wild.

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**Chapter 20: A Change of Goals**

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Kioynia's mother really didn't contemplate much on the proposition brought to her by Liantrianious. Like most leaders she wanted to expand her land, and as such access to various resources. The chance to not only keep what she has, which she knew she was about the lose to the demons, but to gain even more and possibly even access to the surface was to great an opportunity for her to turn a blind eye towards. So against the advice of the high council she went ahead and accepted the ancient dragoness' alliance.

There was much screaming from the council of elders followed quickly by schemes to overthrow the current ruler-ship which was also sub sequentially followed by the mysterious disappearance of the council of elders and the appearance of several dragons walking around with satisfied smiles on their faces as they rubbed their fulfilled stomachs. A day later the empress expressed her solemn regret at the death of the high council and swore vengeance against the demons for their atrocious attacks against such noble and respected members of their race.

There were concerns on just how the dragons would help in the battle against the demons seeing as their size prohibited them from transforming in the vast majority of the tunnels. The tunnels were large, but only the smallest of dragons would be able to fight properly within them. It was decided that the dragons would take human form while in the tunnels, and draconic ones in the large caverns. A dragon's power was fully intact in human form; they just lacked the natural defences that their scales and draconic bodies provided them.

In total there were twenty-four gates, ranging from Alpha to Omega. Each gate wasn't a gate in the regular definition. Rather it was a choke hold point that separated a rather nice piece of land from the demons. There were six outer gates that the demons had to pass through to get to Arkon lands: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta Behind those seven came the rest of the gates, scattered throughout the underground labyrinth in such a way that two more 'walls' were constructed between the demons and the five fortress cities. The difficulty with the gates is that you must hold them all, or don't bother holding any. Should one fall it would allow the demons to not only come around and attack the other gates from behind, but to also move on and attack the inner gates, which would be poorly defended. This is partly why the elders kept the greatest warriors back from the front lines. They wanted to be able to send them to the inner gates when the outer ones began to fall.

This time though, this time it would be different. The empress had no desire to simply 'take' more land. She wanted to demons to be beaten back so far, and so badly, that they would never consider attacking her people again. If the demons see that the Arkons are in alliance with the dragons, they would be far more hesitant to attack in the future, even if said alliance would collapse, the demons would never know and that fear would always be there.

Gohan and his friends won't be idle either. They've decided to participate as well. There were various reasons of course. Vegeta and Karreth wished to test their might against these demons. They didn't want to get rusty while they wait for their ticket into the next universe. Bardock wanted to study the way both the Arkons and the Demons fought so that he could pick up new strategies, techniques and abilities. Gohan disliked being idle while his friends were off heading into danger, so he was going to tag along which brought Sapphire along as well as she didn't want to leave Gohan's side while in this strange environment. Trunks decided that, if he was to ever get used to fighting with one arm, this would be a good place to do it, that and many of the Arkons were laughing at him and called him a cripple and a useless weakling. He had a few people to show up.

Currently Gohan was lounging on one of the sofas in the living area of the house he and his friends were kindly donated for the duration of their stay. It wasn't very opulent compared to their standards, but for Arkon standards they were being treated as if they were royal guests getting almost royalty treatment. Beside him at the other end of the couch sat Sapphire with her legs curled up on the couch beside her as she leaned on the edge. Trunks sat in a chair across the room in the corner where he was inspecting his sword, making sure everything was fine. He'd been given detailed instructions by the divine beings that had created it on how to maintain its current peak condition.

The room itself wasn't much. Just a long sofa against the back wall with several chairs positioned throughout the room. The floor was covered in a soft carpet, except for a little area near the door to Trunks' left that lead out into the city proper. A couple of small, wooden tables were placed at each end of the couch and one beside each chair. Aside from a hanging light from the ceiling that gave off a soft glow illuminating the room there was very little else. Vegeta was disgusted at how little they had been given, until he was pointed out that the Arkons had no access to wood, or to anything capable of producing the soft carpet that covered the floor. They were relics that had been preserved from ancient times when the Arkons lived above ground. After that Vegeta didn't touch the subject again, he grudgingly admitted that perhaps they were being treated properly.

There was a knock on the door and a smile graced Gohan's face.

"I was wondering when he would get here." Gohan said. "But I wonder who's with him."

With a wave of his hand the door opened to reveal three people: Rahkhain, the person Gohan had wished to see, Toril, his best friend who Rahkhain had wanted along, and Kioynia, who had simply joined them on their walk over, not really giving any real reason as to why she joined them.

"Ah, Rahkhain, glad you came. But… did you really need the escort?" Gohan asked in amusement.

"I'm sorry Lord Gohan. Toril's my best friend, and he was kind of down that he wasn't immediately sent back to the front lines so I've been trying to cheer him up since. Kioynia…"

"I go where I please. And it is no ones business as to why." Kioynia answered for herself.

"Uh huh, well, it's none of my business if those two gentlemen there peak your… interest I guess." Gohan said as he stood up, the meaning behind the words were lost on no one. Rahkhain and Toril exchanged nervous glances before glancing at Kioynia to see her glaring at Gohan. "And don't call me Lord Gohan. I'm no lord. I'm just the most powerful mortal to ever exist that's all." Gohan said with a simple shrug.

There were a couple more incredulous looks exchanged between Toril and Rahkhain.

Gohan stopped and shook his head a couple times. "Kami… I'm acting weird today…." He muttered to himself. He began walking again until he stood before Rahkhain. "This won't really take long. I've just had this peculiar feeling about you this the moment I laid eyes upon you. With Sapphire it was far more obvious, but you… It's almost as if something is hiding it." Gohan said.

"Uhh…" Rahkhain didn't have a clue as to what to say.

"Don't worry. It'll be but a moment." Gohan said as he lightly tapped Rahkhain's forehead. There was a sound, much like that of a lock being opened, and then a rune appeared on Rahkhain's forehead that glowed briefly for a moment before it dimmed down and disappeared.

"What was that?" Toril asked.

"That… means he is one of the chosen." Gohan said with a smile. "I knew I had a feeling about you. I kind of feel sorry for you. Now you're going to have some super being with powers beyond even immortal comprehension ordering you around like he does the rest of us." Gohan said with a laugh. Seeing the confused looks on their faces Gohan just waved his hand and smiled. "Don't worry. Toril and Kioynia, it doesn't affect you at all. And Rahkhain, you'll understand soon enough. One way, or another."

"Was that all you wanted to see me about… Gohan?" Rahkhain asked, a little nervous. At this point in time he was thinking Gohan was not all together up there.

"Yes, pretty much. You know Bardock? The tall man that kind of looks like me? Well, when he gets this really ancient look in his eyes and his presence is enough to make you want to tremble in your boots, just be sure to obey him. You can either do it voluntarily, or he'll force you. If you do it voluntarily, you may actually end up gaining something by the time this is all over." Gohan replied as he walked back to sit on the couch.

"Ah…"

"Gohan." Kioynia said as she walked forward. "My mother wanted me to tell you and your friends that you'll be split up, one sent to each gate. Liantrianious brought it to our attention that you're all beings of extraordinary power so my mother, with the advice from the generals, wishes to even out the power at each of the battle lines."

Gohan nodded. "That should be fine. It'll give a chance for a few of my friends to make some decisions on their own without relying on me to save their asses if something goes wrong."

"But…" Sapphire said as she sat up quickly. She really wanted to be by Gohan's side.

"Don't worry Sapphire. You'll do fine. Don't let the people here get you down. You're more powerful virtually all of them anyways. Only Rahkhain here comes close to your level, and he physically can't hurt you. It is impossible for him to do that while you both carry those runes on your forehead." Gohan said as he reassured Sapphire.

"We leave tomorrow." Kioynia said. "The placement of you and your friends will be delivered tonight."

Gohan nodded, "That'll be fine. I'll see you on the frontlines tomorrow." Gohan said as she left the house. Rahkhain and Toril were quick to follow.

Gohan leaned back and sighed. "I wonder what race it is that we're supposed to…" Gohan trailed off as he got a far away look in his eyes.

Sapphire looked at Gohan questioningly. Not getting a response she turned her questioning gaze towards Trunks. He just sighed and lowered his head.

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- -oo-O-oo- -

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The next day…

The vast majority of the Arkon forces were assembled at the six outer gates, backed up by dragons and Gohan and his friends. Gohan was situated at the Alpha Gate along with Liantrianious in her human form and Kioynia and several other renowned warriors including General Bob. The heaviest fighting would take place there, since it was the closest gate to a major demon city.

At the Beta Gate stood Trunks and Toril. Trunks had a determined look on his face. He was going to prove to these fools that he was a power to be reckoned with. He just wished he wasn't also trying to convince himself.

Bardock was located at the Gamma Gate. He was oddly quiet and distance, almost as if he wasn't totally there.

Karreth and Jiraya were at the Delta Gate. Jiraya was a legendary pervert, not that many females cared. He was famous enough that most welcomed him with open arms. But not Karreth. She'd already lost count the number of times she'd punched him into the walls for attempting to grab parts of her body. She idly mused to herself just how many more hits it would take to open up a tunnel between the Gamma and the Delta gates.

Vegeta stood alone at the very center of the Epsilon Gate. Many of the warriors had been insulting him by saying he should go home to his mommy and what not. If the fighting didn't start up soon Vegeta was going to lose his cool and begin his own private war against the Arkons.

And at the last of the outer gates, the Zeta Gate, Sapphire and Rahkhain stood ready. Oddly enough no one made any lewd comments about Sapphire, and considering her beauty that was particularly unusual. Or maybe not considering the glares Rahkhain was giving anyone that so much as glanced at her. Rahkhain didn't know why he was so protective of Sapphire. The only thing he knew was that the thought of these hormone driven idiots with Sapphire disgusted him to no ends.

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At the Alpha Gate…

"Alright you scum sucking bags of shit!" Bob roared as he position himself in front of everyone. "Ahem, except you two." He said apologetically to Kioynia and Liantrianious. Gohan just rolled his eyes and laughed to himself. "This is the day we make history! No more will these child gobbling parasitic fuckers…"

"I don't think they eat children…" Gohan interrupted. "There just simply isn't enough to them for it to be worth it. And I hardly consider them parasites; they're a little big for…"

"Shut up, I don't care. Don't interrupt me again or I'll flatten you into the ground." Bob snapped.

Gohan just laughed heartily. He knew the threat was hollow, everyone did. Liantrianious had reported earlier that Gohan was possibly stronger than even herself. Kioynia fought hard to keep a smile from her face. She wasn't supposed to laugh at things like this.

"As I was saying, before this ass licking virgin interrupted me, this is the day we'll…"

"Bob…" Gohan started.

"Shut up!" Bob yelled, "Now we'll teach these demon spawn cretins just…"

"Seriously… Bob…"

"SHUT UP!" Bob roared. "What the might of our great race is capable…"

"BOB!"

"I SAID SHUT…" There was a sonic boom as Gohan appeared behind Bob just in time to knock a way a very nasty looking barbed spear that had been hurtling towards the general at super sonic speeds.

"THAT'S IT!" Bob roared. "FUCK THE SPEECHES! IT'S DEMON KILLING TIME!"

And so began the first, greatest and final Demon War that literally shook the foundation of the planet.

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At the Beta Gate…

Trunks frowned as the first demon came into sight. They came in all different shapes and sizes. Some so deformed and grotesque he would have puked right there had he not seen worse while others were so beautiful that they could literally stop hearts. Trunks however came from a world of death and destruction and after Buu had destroyed everything that the androids had not….

"Let's get this over with. Wars sicken me." Trunks growled as he stepped forward.

"Hey, Trunks, these are demons, you're going to need our…" He started but was abruptly stopped as a massive gust of wind blew him backwards.

Lightning crackled around Trunks as a massive golden aura erupted from his body. The earth began to rumble and shake as Trunks' power expanded, soaring to heights those around him could only dream of. With a scream of rage Trunks' body bulked up as his hair flashed a brilliant yellow and his eyes turned a deep, teal color.

"Wh-What are you?" Toril gasped out as he stared at this new being in front of him.

Trunks tilted his head and looked back, "A saiyan." He said as he turned ahead.

With a wave of his the foremost demons exploded into a shower of blood and gore, their entrails and inner organs splashing against the sides of the tunnel, as a wave of yellow energy ripped through the first couple lines of demons.

"A very pissed off saiyan." Trunks amended as he began his advance, wiping out a dozen demons with each wave of his hand. "Please try to keep up. I may miss a few, do take care of them."

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At the Gamma Gate…

Bardock had exploded into super saiyan mode much like Trunks, albeit minus the speech. He began destroying the demons at such a rate, although not as quickly as Trunks, that the people accompanying him began to wonder just what exactly he was.

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At the Delta Gate…

Karreth was glad to note that Jiraya, although a pervert normally, was actually reliable and capable when push came to shove. He was destroying the demons with such ease and efficiency that Karreth couldn't help but acknowledge that he truly did earn the right to be considered one of the strongest Arkons.

But he wasn't alone. Many other warriors, some just as powerful as Jiraya, were also up there ripping their way through the ranks of the demons.

"As much as I enjoy letting these men do all the work for me…" Karreth said as she watched in amusement. "I simply love a good battle too much to stand on the sidelines."

With a burst of power she exploded into super saiyan and joined the others. The demons didn't stand a chance. Where Jiraya and the others used an assortment of weapons to kill the demons, Karreth simply tore them limb from limb, earning major points in the books of the men there.

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At the Epsilon Gate…

Vegeta had wasted no time. The moment he had sensed the demons coming he had taken it up to the next level and became a super saiyan. He shot forward and met the demons as they rounded the last corner coming into the gate.

They didn't know what hit them.

Like a ballistic missile Vegeta exploded into their ranks, blasting, ripping, tearing and otherwise completely obliterating everyone and everything that moved around him. The constant insults and belittling he had to take because of the Arkons had put him in a foul mood. He knew taking it out on the Arkons would mean facing Gohan's wrath, but taking it out on the demons…

By the time the Arkons knew what was happening Vegeta had already destroyed the first dozen ranks and was nearing the first intersection past the gate. If he wasn't allowed to satiate his rage and anger on the Arkons, someone else had to do.

The demons had made the distinct displeasure of being on the receiving end of that wrath.

It was not going to be a good day for them.

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At the Zeta Gate…

The demons were rushing down the tunnel like a huge tidal wave. The Zeta gate was the furthest from any major demon city, which was a good thing because it was the hardest to defend. The tunnel was easily large enough to house a transformed dragon and still give it enough room to manoeuvre and fight without hindrance.

"Damn… there are a lot of them." Rahkhain said as he gripped his large sword. He was fully decked out in his enchanted dragon scale armor. On top of that he looked like a walking armory with the number of different weapons strapped to his body. "Sapphire, you better…" He looked to his side.

Sapphire was in a trance, mumbling a few incoherent words. With a suddenness that surprised everyone she opened her eyes and slammed her hands together.

Now normally this wouldn't surprise too many people.

But when the tunnel does the same thing, the surprise level goes through the roof.

Needless to say only the very forefront demons were still alive as Sapphire spread her hands apart again, returning the tunnel walls to their original shape, size and location. To say that the demons were confused, and a little scared, was an understatement.

Behind them, nearly a hundred demonic forms, or what was left of them, could be seen literally plastered to the walls.

Several dozen twangs later and the remaining demons were turned into pin cushions as countless arrows pierced their bodies.

"You know..." Rahkhain began as he looked at Sapphire under a new light. "You're quite handy to have around."

Sapphire smiled, "Why thank you." She said softly as she began to daintily make her way through the pools of blood that were beginning to form on the rough tunnel ground.

And so the war began that way: The saiyans leading the way, blasting and destroying all the demons within sight while the Arkons followed quickly behind them, killing what few the saiyans missed. The Arkons weren't worried, they'd get their chance. After all, there were many intersections and the saiyans couldn't be in every place at once.

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Several hours later…

The war was going far better than anyone could have hoped. With the aid of the saiyans and the dragons the Arkons were quickly pushing the demons back; where once before the Arkons may have questioned the strength of the saiyans now they have come to respect it. No longer was Vegeta treated as a child, Trunks criticized for his missing arm and Karreth discriminated against because she was female. Above all the Arkons respected power and strength and those three had shown they had plenty of that.

Bardock quickly gained the trust and respect of not only the common soldiers, but the commanders and generals as well. Time and time again he foiled demon counter-attacks with not only his strength, but the tactics and plans he devised on the spot. It takes a quick thinking and intelligent person to create plans and coordinate ones forces to react to surprises on the battle field.

At the moment general Bob and several other high generals were gathered at the Theta Gate, which was a small cavern just within demon territory, discussing the progress of the war. The cavern was chosen because three of the exits led to the Alpha, Beta and Zeta gates while the fourth and fifth led further into demon territory, towards the first of the major demon cities.

"The war is going far better than we could have ever anticipated." Dartiran murmured as he stared down at the table before him. Spread across the tables were various maps describing the lay of the land in the area. Several other command posts had been set up near the other gates to help coordinate the attacks over there.

"Hmph, those dragons seem to be holding up their side of the bargain." Bob grumbled. It was well known that he was one of the more gruff of the generals. "I wonder for how long though."

Dartiran laughed. "Don't be so uptight Bob, like they said before, they need our help. Our own scouts have noticed the increased titan activity in their areas so their claims of encroachment are not wrong. They help us, we help them, everyone is happy. What worries me slightly is these saiyans. However did they attain such power?"

"How they attained their power isn't really of much concern." Jilail said. "All that matters is that they are on our side, using their power to help us. I've talked to a few of them myself and can say this, they are loyal. They will not betray anyone, as long as they are not betrayed themselves." Jilail looked down at the map and placed a finger on a large open circle with several tunnels leading into it. There was a name on it and lots of little designs. "This will be the first city we will attack. It's not a city of major importance as it's not near any major demonic supply route or a major center of demon power but the mere destruction of it will draw out their best, and boost the moral of our troops several fold."

"It would also give some of our troops the experience in fighting demons in their own cities, something we all lack." Dartiran said, agreeing with Jilail.

"Che, we better put some a couple saiyans or some of the stronger dragons there then." Bob said, "If they will counter-attack with their stronger forces we wouldn't want to be overwhelmed just as we attained our first small victory."

The other generals agreed and runners were sent out to the front lines.

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- -oo-O-oo- -

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Several hours later…

Countless booms and explosions rippled through the caverns as the demonic buildings exploded or crumbled to the cavern floor. Dragons flew dealing death and destruction from above as many Arkons ran through the city streets slaughtering what demons they could find. Most of the forces at the Beta and Zeta gates had converged on the city to destroy it.

Currently Trunks was walking beside Sapphire and Rahkhain as they picked their way through the rubble in the city. Despite being prepared for an assault the demons just couldn't withstand the onslaught of the Arkons, not with Sapphire and Trunks destroying their primary defences within moments of entering the cavern. A few quick energy blasts and several powerful spells had completely decimated the main fortifications allowing the Arkons to spill almost unimpeded into the city. A lot of fighting still took place but it was nothing that couldn't be handled without the aid of Trunks and Sapphire.

Sapphire was exceedingly useful, the only race on the planet capable of using magic were the Titans and only the dragons had any experience in fighting magic users. Which meant that Sapphire was overlooked until it was too late and even then the demons had no way of countering her attacks because they'd simply never encountered it before and had no idea how to react to it.

"When do you think the demons will counter-attack?" Sapphire asked.

Trunks shrugged, "Could be any time now, may not even happen at all. The demons may have just left the city to rot and kept their most powerful for when we actually hit a city of importance." Trunks responded as he stepped around a pile of corpses.

"They're probably just scared of us. Look at how easily we took the city." Rahkhain said.

Trunks sighed as he shook his head sadly. "This is nothing to be proud of Rahkhain." Trunks said as he looked around sadly. "Look over there." Trunks said, waving his hand towards a small pile of smoking corpses. "Are you proud of being a child killer? They may be demons, but they probably weren't even a year old. And over there, an elderly couple, probably didn't do anything more than simply stand there as they were killed. Do killing the old and the young make you happy? Appease your sense of justice and appetite for revenge?" Trunks asked in a sickened voice.

Sapphire looked down, unhappy, while Rahkhain appeared to be lost in thought.

"This has to be done though." Rahkhain responded finally after a few minutes of thought.

"Yes, I know, which is the reason I am here. I do it because it has to be done, not because I relish it." Trunks murmured as he looked around.

Trunks looked around as the three of them exited the city at the far end. Behind them explosions and screams could still be heard as the fighting continued. The last few pockets of demonic resistance were slowly beginning to crumble.

"I don't think the demons are going to be counter-attacking any time soon." Trunks said as he took a few moments to stare down several of the huge tunnels leaving the cavern.

"How do you know?" Rahkhain asked.

"Because I can sense the stronger demons, they aren't moving despite them having already been given word of the attack and subsequence subjugation of the city. It appears as if they don't care about this city at all and have decided to let it fend for itself." Trunks responded.

"I thought as much, the demons don't even care about their own kind." Rahkhain said as he spat on a nearby corpse.

"Or they have great tactical sense." Trunks returned calmly. "To counter-attack us would be folly, they know we have exceedingly powerful people leading the attacks and they know should they attack us they would be destroyed. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say they are gathering the majority of their forces at the most important cities."

"There's no way they would do that. These demons are barbaric…"

"No they aren't. They are powerful enough to match you race one on one, and have had the tactics to overwhelm your people ever second generation. If you would take time and look at the architecture of the buildings here you'd realize that they also have their own type of culture and way of life. They aren't barbaric. They are simply different, they have a different view on life, on how things should be ordered and done." Trunks replied.

"Don't tell me you are beginning to feel for these demons." Rahkhain said, slightly annoyed.

Trunks smiled lightly. "No more than I care for your people." Trunks calmly replied. "I don't agree with how some of the things are done in your society but I don't let that bother me. Just like I don't agree with how many things are done in the demonic society. I said it before I'm not here because I want to be, I'm here because I have to be. I'm here to help a friend in his quest, despite not knowing what it even is. Gohan is my best friend, and I will stick by his side until the end. My loyalty isn't to you or your people, it's to him."

Rahkhain stared at Trunks with a mixture of emotions. He hadn't a clue of how to respond to that.

"I'm with Trunks, Rahkhain." Sapphire said with a smile. "Gohan is a good person and I know he would never do anything if it wasn't the right thing to do. Don't let what Trunks said get to you. There may be… problems with your society, but you have a lot of good things too, and we never base people on what society as a whole is. Your society may not be the best, but we both know and like you as a person."

Trunks smirked. "Sapphire, you just had to go and ruin the moment by adding some light to it." Trunks replied, the grin still on his face. "Ah well, let's head back and see where the generals want us next. I want this war over with as soon as possible. I hate wars…" Trunks trailed off as he turned and headed back into the city.

Sapphire turned to Rahkhain and smiled at him. "Come on, let's catch up before Trunks gets too far away."

Rahkhain shook his head and quickly followed Sapphire. This was too confusing to sort through at the moment. He was just going to concentrate on winning the war, he could think about all that philosophical stuff afterwards.

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- -oo-O-oo- -

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A month later…

The war had gone well for the Arkons during the first week with the Arkons continually pushing the demons back further and further. However by the end they began encounter larger and/or more powerful demons, demons that were far too powerful for the average Arkon to compete with. It seemed almost as if for each new tunnel they took, they lost an old one forcing them to spend time to retake the lost ground before continuing on. If it hadn't been for the dragons and the saiyans that Arkons would have too few warriors capable of standing up against the strongest demons to be able to even keep the ground they currently had, let alone gain more.

It also became more and more apparent as the forces moved deeper into demonic territory that these demons were anything but simple-minded brutes with immense strength. They appeared to create strategies and tactics that were comparable to the Arkons and this made the generals quite nervous.

But despite all of this the Arkons persevered and kept on pushing the demons back, taking strategic position after strategic position and destroying city after city.

The Arkons were currently moving on what they had deemed as the 'capital' city for the demons. They weren't sure but they decided to dub it as thus considering it was by far and large the biggest of the cities and the last of the truly powerful demons had collected in that one single spot. Regardless of whether or not it was the capital city a win here would spell almost certain victory for the Arkons.

There were only four entrances to the demon capital, one from each of the cardinal directions. There were two layers of defences protecting the city. The first was a series of small ditches and walls between the entrances and the city itself, the ditches were filled with spikes and/or other nasty concoctions. In addition to this there were many holes that were covered up that wouldn't open up at the weight of a single Arkon, but if several were to walk on it the covering would collapse spilling the people on it into a pool of liquid fire.

The second defence was a huge wall that surrounded the city itself. There were many towers and several levels to the bulwarks. The demons didn't use arrows or cross bolts when they defended the walls, they used wickedly barbed spears, globes of fire, acid, and body parts.

After the walls the demons didn't really have too many defences, aside from knowing the layout of the city and where all the good ambush spots were. The only other true fortification was the small wall and moat of lava that surrounded the demon palace where the demon emperor and his family resided. It was in there that the most powerful demons had gathered.

The armies that Bardock and Karreth were a part of weren't going participate on the actual assault on the city, their armies were spread out across the seven outer most gates, preventing any of the smaller demons from sneaking through and attacking the undefended cities of their homeland. They had a few scouting parties out beyond the gates to slow down any kind of major demon counter-assault or to destroy any demon stragglers.

The other armies were currently converging on the city from all sides. Gohan's from the north, Vegeta's from the west, Trunks' from the south and Sapphire's from the east.

"This is it, the day the demons meet their end." General Bob said as he stomped his way through the tunnel. "They're no match for the might of the Arkon race!"

Gohan just smiled to himself, "Yes, just make sure to stay out of our way when the truly powerful demons attack us." Gohan said in amusement.

Bob scowled but said nothing. This would be the final battle, one way or another. After the capital city fell the demons wouldn't pose a threat to the Arkons with their few remaining cities. They were too far away from Arkon territory to mount any kind of sustained assault, and even if they could the remaining demons would be too weak to force themselves past even a lightly defended gate.

"Now now Gohan, no need to tease the mortal." Liantrianious said as she smiled at Gohan. The verbal exchange between Bob and Gohan throughout the entire campaign had brought some much needed humour to the army but now was hardly the time to start it up.

As they rounded the corner they found themselves face to face with Bardock.

"Bardock… what are you…?" Gohan trailed off. "Oh, it's you again."

Everyone gave Gohan a questioning look.

"Bardock! What are you doing here? You had your orders, you should be at your post making sure those cretins are kept in line." Bob snapped as he stepped forward.

Bardock's eyes shone briefly just before a force of energy slammed into Bob and knocked him back into the first ranks of the army.

"I'm not here for you, I'm here to speak with my chosen one." Bardock said monotonously as he stepped before Gohan.

Bob was about to get up and give Bardock a piece of his mind when Liantrianious held him back and shook her head.

"It's time we left Gohan, gather up the others, we're leaving." Bardock said.

Gohan's eyes hardened as he stared down at the being before him. "We haven't finished what we set out to do, I thought we had to destroy a race before we could move on."

"Things have changed, the rules of the game me and my sister are playing have changed."

Gohan frowned. "I'm not leaving until we finish up things here. I said I would help the Arkons defeat the demons, and I'm not going back on my word." Gohan said.

Bardock stared at Gohan for a few moments before nodding. "Fine, but the moment the Arkons no longer need your help I expect to find you ready for transportation." Bardock said as he turned and disappeared.

"Who was that?" Liantrianious asked softly.

Gohan sighed. "Someone whose very demanding. And one with many questions to answer." Gohan shook his head and began walking again. "Come on, let's get this war finished. The sooner it's done the sooner I can move on, and the sooner I can get home."

"You better not be chickening out on us now saiyan." Bob spat out.

Gohan gave him a sharp look. "I 'never' go back on my word."

As they neared the exit Gohan slowed and stopped, the rest following suit. The plan was for Gohan, Trunks, Vegeta and Sapphire to smash the initial defences. After that the main Arkon armies would spill into the enormous cavern and do battle with the demons therein as the dragons and saiyans, Sapphire included, sought out the most powerful demons and take them down.

As Gohan felt the other three armies fall into their places Gohan spiked his power level twice to signal that everyone was in place and ready. Sapphire had no trouble picking up the energy spike as she had created a spell earlier in the war that allowed her to sense the energy levels of others. It wasn't perfect but when someone spiked their power deliberately she could easily pick it out of the masses.

Gohan held his hands out before him before he brought to his sides and began his father's trademark technique.

Trunks brought his hand before him.

Vegeta stretched his arms and legs to either side.

Sapphire began tracing some runes into the air.

"**KAME…"**

Blue energy began dancing down Gohan's arms and through the air as they began to coalesce between his palms.

"**FINAL…"**

A bright yellow aura erupted around Vegeta as his energy began to spike. The Arkons around him stepped back a little, they'd seen this attack before and didn't want to be anywhere near it.

"**BIG BANG…"**

A small ball of blue energy sprung into life in Trunks' out-stretched hand. Blue energy pulses began to ripple outwards from it as it slowly began to grow in size.

"…"

A grid of runes appeared around Sapphire as she continued to trace runes into the air at nearly supersonic speeds. Rahkhain brought out his large two-handed sword and stood prepared to defend Sapphire from any sort of surprise demon assault.

"**HAME-HA!**"

A ball of blue energy sprang into life between Gohan's hands as he brought them forward and screamed the last bit of his attack. A massive wave of bluish-white energy exploded forth from Gohan's outstretched arms and shot out through the exit of the tunnel and into the cavern beyond.

"**FLASH!**"

Vegeta's aura became all spiky as he cupped his hands in front of him and roared. A massive beam of yellow energy shot from his hands, blasting the tunnel wider as it ripped it's way out into the cavern beyond.

"**ATTACK!**"

The blue ball of energy quadrupled in size and formed rings around it as it shot out from Trunks' hands. It's entrance wasn't nearly as flashy as Gohan's or Vegeta's but it's destructive power was on par with their own as it shot its way out and into the cavern beyond.

"…"

Sapphire slammed her hands into the two largest runes in the rune grid she had created and smiled to herself. A slight rumbling was the only warning the demons received before her attack hit them.

In unison the four attacks slammed into the demonic defences and in unison the defences collapsed. Vegeta's and Gohan's energy waves simply rippled over the defensive structures, creating a massive hole in them for the Arkons to spill through, before they smashed into the city proper before exploding into massive domes of yellow and blue energy, killing thousands of demons. Trunks' exploded at the defences, destroying the entire thing as opposed to simply drilling a massive hole through it. However after the initial explosion the rings around the energy ball exploded outwards and slammed into the foremost demons down near the city. Sapphire's attack, while not flashy, was more effective than any of the others. Both the ceiling and the floor of the cavern changed as billions of small, razor sharp, stone projectiles shot up from the ground or down from the ceiling. No one was spared, every living thing between the eastern entrance and the city were killed as the shards actively sought out all living creatures. Not even the cockroaches survived.

A massive roar shook the cavern as the four armies spilled out from their respective entrances and into the heart of the demon power.

Before the demons could reorganize from the complete annihilation of the primary, and in the case of Vegeta and Gohan secondary, defences their enemy was all over them, hacking and slashing their way into the city.

More roars filled the air, deeper roars that were anything but human as the dragons all began to transform into their true form. Into the air they rose, their massive wings propelling them above the city. The air-borne demons tried to fight back but were no match for the dragons. Death ran through the streets, death rained from above, death sprang from beneath the earth and from the ceiling above. Everywhere the demons went death was there to meet them.

And then three balls of energy could be seen streaking through the air as they blasted through the city, their very aura destroying the city structures and the demons within them, towards the very center of demon power, the demon palace located in the heart of the city.

Sapphire constantly teleported throughout the city. She had opted out of fighting the strongest demons in favour of taking out the greatest pockets of resistance within the city itself. Her goal was to minimize Arkon casualties while Gohan and the other two were supposed to keep the most powerful demons away from the four armies entirely. Rahkhain was beside her the entire time, constantly watching her back as she slung spells back and forth. Her teleportation carried the two of them to wherever the fighting was the thickest.

"So Gohan, you ready for the grand finale?" Trunks asked as he and Gohan reached the palace at the same time.

"Always, Trunks, always. Let's get this over with." Gohan replied.

"Don't tell me you two planned on starting the fun without me." Vegeta shouted as he drew near.

Gohan chuckled. "Of course not 'your highness' we would never do that!"

Vegeta scowled at him for a moment. However as he stared down a smile soon replaced it. "Ooo, looks like they've decided to come out and play with us." Vegeta said as he pointed down at the palace.

Sure enough several powerful energy signatures had left the structure and were streaking up towards them.

"It's time to dance." Gohan said as he grinned down at the demons.

Vegeta and Trunks shot away, distancing themselves from each other. The demons split apart as well, two headed towards Trunks while another two headed towards Vegeta. The most powerful of the demons that had rushed out to die went straight for Gohan.

Gohan shot towards the demon and a massive boom echoed through the air as the demon rushing at Gohan slammed his powerful fist into Gohan's face with earth shattering force. Unfortunately for the demon Gohan didn't even feel the blow as he continued to barrel into the demon. With powerful hands Gohan grasped the demons face and threw him back towards the ground.

A high energy density blast left Gohan's left hand and shot towards the demon with blinding speed. The demon shrieked in agony for a mere moment as the blast slammed into him before he was completely destroyed by it. The large explosion illuminated the sky, revealing a powerful force shield around the palace.

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Trunks teleported behind the first demon and rammed his sword through the second. Finesse was hardly needed against these creatures. With a kick Trunks sent the second demon tumbling away as he whirled around to face the first.

Just in time to be on the receiving end of a clawed fist. The claws went through an after image as Trunks zanzokened behind the demon and with an arm outstretched Trunks unleashed a torrent of raw energy that rippled over the demon from behind, completely obliterating all traces of it.

Te second demon had just begun to recover from Trunks' initial assault when he began to lay into it again. Trunks ripped the sword out from the demon, leaving a terrible gash that nearly cut the demon in half before quickly swiping the blood of the blade, sheathing it, and ramming his fist into the demons bewildered face. A moment later the demon fell to the cavern floor below, decapitated.

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Vegeta was having the time of his life toying with the two demons that had gone after him. The two of them obviously didn't fight together having almost no coordination in their attacks making it pitifully easy for Vegeta to block them. Vegeta was almost lazily blocking all of their attacks with a single arm and leg, using the second hand to cover his mouth as he pretended to yawn.

The demons grew quite disgruntled at that.

Vegeta glanced over at the battles Gohan and Trunks had been a part of, noticing that their demons had already been dispatched and they were calmly watching Vegeta fight his two opponents.

Vegeta grinned and waved at them before he brought the free hand forward and blasted the face off one of his opponents. The demon careened away as pieces of it's face dribbled off and fell from the sky. Vegeta grinned wickedly at the demon as he fired another energy blast, one that ripped away the bottom half of the demons torso. With an agonized cry the demon plummeted from the sky, in far too much pain to be able to coherently do anything.

The last remaining demon, noticing its compatriots had been destroyed fled from its battle with Vegeta in a feeble attempt to get away. Unfortunately it didn't get far as it flew straight into the awaiting jaws of Liantrianious as she flew by for some quick fast food.

"Why thank you Vegeta for that fine morsel." Liantrianious thanked Vegeta as she hovered in the air before the saiyans.

"Hmph, you owe me." Vegeta said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

The ancient dragon just laughed heartily for a moment before she glanced down at the palace.

"My my, what an annoying fortification." Liantrianious said as she analyzed the shield around the palace. "It must be pretty powerful with the demons constantly reinforcing it over the eons."

"Che, we can destroy it easily enough." Vegeta boasted.

"Ah, let her destroy it for us Vegeta." Gohan said as he floated over beside the prince. "After all, it's polite to let the ladies go first."

"Fine, whatever."

The ancient dragon just smiled in amusement. She tilted her head and aimed it at the very top of the shield, which so happened to be directly over the very center of the palace beneath it.

Liantrianious opened her mouth and began to breath deeply. Particles of blue and white energy began to get sucked into her mouth as the breath grew deeper and deeper until without warning a massive wave of bluish-white energy shot out from her mouth. The energy beam slammed into the shield, and kept going like it was thing more than tissue paper. A massive rumble began, shaking the planet to its very core, as the demonic palace exploded into a dome of bluish-white light, a dome that continued to expand until it had overtaken the entire inner compound and some of the city around it. The shield had evaporated almost as soon as the energy beam slammed into the palace, doing nothing to protect its inhabitants from the full fury of Liantrianious.

"Well, that's a rather spectacular way to end a war." Gohan noted as he watched the bright display of energy in the city below.

"I could have done better." Vegeta declared.

"Sure you could Vegeta." Trunks said jokingly. "Just admit it that she did a better job than you could have."

Vegeta looked down and didn't respond.

"All that's left is cleaning up what little resistance is left within the city." Liantrianious murmured as she gazed down at the ruined city below.

"And with the destruction of their leaders and most powerful members of their race…" Gohan continued.

"It's over." Trunks said with finality. "Many of them have lost their will to fight, they know it's hopeless. Now all we have to do is hunt down the rest and we can get out of here."

"No Trunks, we're finished now." Gohan replied.

"What? I thought we had to…" Trunks trailed off.

Gohan shook his head. "Apparently the rules have changed, we don't have to anymore. 'He' is probably collecting the others right now and then we'll be off for whatever place we're going to now."

Trunks sighed in relief. "That's great, one more stupid war finished." Trunks said.

"Come, lets report to general Bob, although I'm sure he's well aware of what's just happened." Gohan said.

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- -oo-O-oo- -

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Two hours later…

Just outside the ruined demon city…

Everyone was gathered there on the outskirts of the city: Liantrianious, General Bob, Kioynia, the other powerful Arkons that had been a part of the attack, Gohan and his crew including Rahkhain.

The war was officially over. The demons were no longer any kind of a threat to the Arkons, they had their supremacy. The last of the demons within the city had been exterminated a few minutes prior to the meeting. The demons weren't completely exterminated, they still held a few small villages deep underground or on the very fringes of the explored tunnels but they were few, and weak and too far away from any kind of Arkon presence for them to matter.

"So, the demons have finally been beaten, we've won!" General Bob crowed as he grinned elatedly down at the ruined city.

"Yes, and with surprisingly few casualties too." Kioynia said. "Only several thousand of our own died in this war, a mere fraction of the force we put out to fight the demons. You did quite well, Bob, you and the other generals were able to pull off a nice, clean victory."

"Well it is what you pay us to do." Bob said, adopting a slightly humble attitude. After all, she was royalty.

"And you, saiyans is it? You all fought bravely as well. Without your contribution we would have never made it this far. You were instrumental in our complete victory." She said as she addressed the saiyans. Rahkhain cleared his throat. Kioynia smiled, "Ah yes, and the lovely Sapphire as well."

Kioynia turned to Liantrianious, who was now in human form. "And you, you and your kind also greatly helped us win this war. You upheld your part of the bargain to help us destroy the demons once and for all, and for that we thank you. When my mother receives word of this I do not doubt that she will be sending soldiers to help you with your battles against the Titans, if for no more reason than to keep our men occupied. We wouldn't want them to get fat and lazy on us." Kioynia said with a smile.

"It was a pleasure helping your people." The ancient dragon replied. "It was a welcome to know that not all the races of this world are secular and violent towards outsiders."

"And now it's time for us to go." Bardock said as he stepped forward.

"When are you going to explain what exactly is going on?" Gohan asked. To be honest he was getting perturbed at the fact he was running around the multi-verse for some unknown reason at the tune of some unknown super being that could squash him like a bug.

Bardock shook his head, "All will be explained when the others have joined."

"In other words you're a stick in the mud that hates explaining himself twice." Karreth said.

Bardock didn't reply, he simply pointed behind Gohan and a trans-universal portal opened up.

"Come, it's time that we go."

Gohan sighed and turned to the portal, "Alright, everyone in, or you'll find yourself thrown in." Trunks, Vegeta and Karreth all jumped into the portal. Gohan turned to Rahkhain. "That includes you too."

"What? Me?" Rahkhain said as he stepped back. "You want me to step into that weird portal?"

Sapphire faked a sniffle. "You're going to let me go in there all by myself?" She asked quietly. "Alright… if that's the way you are…" Sapphire turned and stepped through the portal. She didn't know where it went anymore than Rahkhain but she knew her lot had been thrown in with Gohan's until the end, whatever that may be.

Rahkhain gaped at the portal for a moment before he tightened his resolve. Courageously he walked through the portal; all the while his legs shook like crazy.

Gohan chuckled and turned to everyone else. "It was a pleasure meeting you all. Perhaps sometime in the future we may meet again. Until then… Good bye." And with that he left that universe.

Bardock gave Liantrianious a little nod before he too joined the rest through the portal. With that the portal shut tightly, leaving behind a number of confused and bewildered people, and a dragon who wished them all good luck.

To be continued…

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A/N: Done, bleh… took too long, I know, I got several reasons, 1) World of Warcraft 2) Writers block at the very beginning of the war 3) Lack of motivation 4) real life job. With all that it made it hard to get the chapter done. However I DID say I would finish the story, and I'm not going back on my word, I'll finish it, one way, or another.

A/N: This chapter probably sucked simply because I did it in 3 big chunks, each chunk separated from the other two by nearly a month so my style of writing probably changed twice during it. Ah well, I know it's not good but I had a hard time writing this chapter, writers block you could say. Hopefully the next ones will be better as Gohan and the others will now be in the third, or second depending on how you look at it, universe! I'm also debating on whether I should just wrap it all up in the third and neglect the fourth entirely. Especially considering how the rules of the game the two super powers are playing changed.

A/N: Many people were probably hoping for a big war like on planet Vegeta or the planet that just passed, and I WAS about to give it, but I decided not to. Why? Because I don't want to become repetitive like Dragonball Z, and there's simply too many characters to do that. I may have made a mistake having that many main characters. Besides, how exciting is it to constantly see Gohan and the others just completely overwhelm their opponents time and time again? Not very much, gets boring to read, at least for me, and it gets boring to write .

A/N: Hmmm, end of a universe, means I gotta post power levels . yay!

Mystic Gohan - 675,540,000 Normal Trunks - 38,540,000  
Super Saiyan Trunks - 173,430,000  
Super Saiyan II Trunks - 511,618,000  
Super Saiyan II Trunks (1 arm) - 415,500,000 (Like Gohan with Cell, his power is only that low because he 'believes' it to be so.)  
Normal Bardock - 33,980,000  
Super Saiyan Bardock - 152,910,000  
Normal Karreth - 25,345,000  
Super Saiyan Karreth - 114,052,000  
Normal Vegeta - 24,500,000  
Super Saiyan Vegeta - 110,250,000  
Sapphire - 190,750,000  
Rahkhain - 176,190,000

Now, I know what you may be thinking: If Gohan will have trouble in the next universe, how the hell can any of the others (aside from Trunks) be able to do anything? Ok, other 3 saiyans, level 2, or they die, either or. Sapphire, her power is different, her 'power level' is her strength, it determines what level of spells she can cast, and at that strength she can cast them all, and the spells she casts are amplified by the runes she uses so she can cast a spell that is equivalent to Gohan's full blast kamehame-ha... although granted it'd take far longer to conjure up such a spell. As for Rahkhain, he's likewise, his power is his base power + his armor bonus + weapon bonus + rage bonus' (I haven't really gone into his stuff yet but it'll be more explained later... I hope. This is why I dislike having lots of characters.). Anyways I may give him some sort of transformation, maybe not. We'll see but rest assured when all is said and done with him he's at least on par with 1 arm Trunks.


End file.
